CR, Stoked for you!

The tires I’m using came with the truck; Cooper Discover S/T.  I haven’t noticed any problems at all, but haven’t really paid attention to them.

Regarding building the back platform, the first thing that **** did was to ask me what I want to use if for, so, what do you want to use it for?

My guess is you’ll be doing the same things you’re doing with your current truck, (hunting, fishing, skiing, Norris hot springs) with a little less emphasis on long term comfort and a little more emphasis on gas mileage and nimbleness.  The following recommendations are based on that assumption.

If I were single, or planned on sleeping singly most of the time and wanted constant “work/head” space, I’d divide the bed on the long axis, not the short.  Not sure if I’d divide it exactly in half; check how much space to sleep you want/need, but it’d be nice to always be able to sleep and to throw in a deer carcass or ski poles etc without messing up the bed.

I like the aluminum legs, even if they are a bit more expensive.   I’d try and find something a little thinner (and lighter) than the 3/4″ I used.  If you use angled metal you can probably put a couple slats across it and get away with 3/8″ wood.  Not super sure about that, I just always want to build with the minimum amount of material possible both for cost and aesthetics.

For taking it in and out and fastening the wood to the metal I like the wing nuts, but if you’re not going to pull it out once you put it in, go with a locking nut and loc-tite combo or something comparable.  ****‘s idea of making sure if you roll nothing knocks about is a good one; everything should be securely fastened.

I love the pull-out boxes underneath, they make it very easy to stay organized.  Maybe get three smaller instead of two larger and have a dry clothes box, a kitchen box, and a wet box.  Make sure they’re secured underneath the platform.

5″ is too thick for a mattress, I’d probably cut it down to 3″, check with your local foam dealer.  If you come through SD on your way back there’s one right down the street from our place and they did ours in about 3 days.  Mine is super comfortable but a little thicker (and more expensive) than necessary.  For hold downs I’d see about extending the metal frame to form a lip on the center side of the platform to hold the mattress in.

As far as a cap, if you can, get the one with the fold out screen windows and seal it up against leaks…mission critical in your neck of the woods.  I’d also look into one with a slightly raised back end for the extra head space, although that’ll affect gas mileage.  Check for lights in there.

Cheers, NFH

Dude, I could have sworn I sent this to you already, but I can’t find it in any of my “sent” emails, so..

“Whom then, do I call educated, since I exclude the arts and sciences and specialties?

First, those who manage well the circumstances which they encounter day by day, and who possess a judgment which is accurate in meeting occasions as they arise and rarely misses the expedient course of action;

Next, those who are decent and honorable in their intercourse with all with whom they associate, tolerating easily and good-naturedly what is unpleasant or offensive in others and being themselves as agreeable and reasonable to their associates as it is possible to be;

Furthermore, those who hold their pleasures always under control and are not unduly overcome by their misfortunes, bearing up under them bravely and in a manner worthy of our common nature;

Finally, and most important of all, those who are not spoiled by successes and do not desert their true selves and become arrogant, but hold their ground steadfastly as intelligent men, not rejoicing in the good things which have come to them through chance rather than in those which through their own nature and intelligence are theirs from birth.  Those who have a character which is in accord, not with one of these things, but with all of them–these, I contend, are wise and complete men, possessed of all the virtues.”

-Isocrates, from the Panathenaicus

In addition to those I count a strong curiosity for goodness in all its forms and the will and action to perfect an athletic and capable body. ‑NFH

****, Lee and I just sat down and enjoyed our first meal of Nik-shot Montana venison; grilled backstrap and salad.  ****, it was delicious.  I’d like to thank you for helping me create this meal, for making the hunting experience awesome in the truest sense of that word.  I’d like to get more flowery but I don’t think it appropriate or really necessary to spice up a heartfelt thanks.  Thank you.

I’ve looked around for the plans I drew up when I got back from the last trip but haven’t found them.  I’m beginning to think I confused those with my current house remodel plans…but I did make some notes on the way home about the kind of house I’d like to build.

Straw bale for insulation and rammed earth for thermal mass.  Both are local materials, both appropriate to the climate, and both help give the house the wall-thickness and solidity I like in my architecture.  I like open beams in the ceiling/roof, and I’d see how much scavenging/salvaging I could do to get good, high quality used materials (beams, windows, doors, floors, fixtures etc.)  Loved your pull up bar between beams, even if I couldn’t reach it.

As far as design, it always seems so site dependent.  I’d look for a site with good southerly views of mountains and some bottom land, with a line of willows showing where the water flows and the deer live.  Near a road but out of site and blocked by geographical features.

After only a few days of winter living I was reminded of how important the interface between indoors and outdoors is in a cold and wet climate.  I’d have a long entry way (10–25′) with plenty of southern exposure, maybe take the green house idea from earth ships and place it so the entry way is the heater for the house during winter.

In the entryway I’d put in a specific number of boxes (one for each permanent resident plus two more) for shoes/boots etc as well as plenty of hooks and more boxes or shelves for jackets, hats, and hand coverings.  I’ve developed the idea for a solar boot dryer/heater, so I’d put one of those in each “box”.

Because I’ve got dogs and I’m into them, I’d plan for an airlock double dog door with mats and body brushes for the dogs on the way in.  I like to give my dogs free reign, so it’s only appropriate that I make sure they’re not a pest about it.

An open floor plan has always been a favorite of mine, but along with solar hot water, solar panels, rainwater catchment/storage and general energy/water efficiency I just take all that as a given; no need to go over the basics more than a few times.

Some key points: ‑run plumbing so there are no joints in the walls, so there’s the shortest run possible between heater and faucet, and insulate all lines.  Make it so access is very easy (maintenance room on the north side seems the best way to do this.  Easy access and free insulation.) ‑I like the industrial look of exposed utilities, it also makes working on them easier. ‑radiant heat floors (for constant heat so fixtures don’t freeze during away time.) ‑I like a soft floor, but every time I’ve lived with carpet it just gets fucking disgusting after a while.  I’d go with throw rugs, pillows, etc. for easy cleaning and comfortable living. ‑wood stove for fast and pleasant heat, ideally a soapstone heater. ‑bathrooms should be well ventilated, warm, and have plenty of daylight, as well as being private parts of the house. ‑I don’t like guests to stay more than a week, so I’d keep a pretty open arrangement as far as their living/sleeping quarters.  Maybe a shoji screen at the max, although I’d probably invest in a good natural mattress (latex or foam rubber, whatever) so they get a great nights sleep.  That is not at all a reflection on your guest sleeping arrangement, I slept like a baby at your place.  I just really like the idea of giving guests the highest quality quarters that are obviously (in a way that says “move on” after a few days) not permanent.  Along with that idea there needs to be a private place where one can get away from everyone else.  Usually the bedroom works for this, although I’ve read about specially designed reading nooks protected by a heavy curtain that sound interesting. -the living space itself does not need to be large; the kitchen and living/dining/whatever room don’t need to be more than 400 sq ft. ‑All that “living” space should be really functional; stove, countertop, table, a “desking” space or two (depending on how many folks will live there, and enough electrical outlets to plug in all the bits and bobs of modern day life. -living areas well lit with as much daylight as possible while staying within the confines of passive heating/cooling ‑plenty of storage space (cubbies or cabinets under stairs, as many places to put things in as you’d find in a small boat.  Out of sight but well organized, plenty of book shelves. ‑get the fridge and freezer up against the north wall, running the coils outside to take advantage of outdoor “coolth.”  Good design on the sunfrost.com site. -Total bed/living/bath area shouldn’t need to be more than 900 sq ft.  It’s the gear and the workshop that really need the space.  -give gear it’s designated place, with room enough to plan outings, lay out clothes and equipment, drip dry areas, and specific cubby holes for “families” of gear (i.e. hunting, skiing, riding, whatever.)  The gear room should be fully a part of the home climate control, warm enough to change clothes in, with an easy drain floor system for wet boots/rain jackets etc.  I’d put the laundry in here if I could, making sure to follow my plumbing rules (above) and if necessary install an additional tankless water heater for it. ‑a workshop is essential.  This should be large enough to work on “winter” projects, with passive and renewable powered heating/cooling an integral part of design.  I think 800 sq ft is plenty (includes indoor and covered outdoor)   Roughly equal indoor and covered outdoor space.  Woodshop, metal work, mechanic stuff…all important parts of a good shop.  The shop roof should be dedicated to the usual rainwater catchment and solar energy production, and should ideally be powered by a combination of wind/solar and hydro energy, backed up by a generator and battery bank. ‑if I could get away with it I’d put up at least a covered area for vehicles, if I had space and I could hide it well I’d put in a small garage to allow me to keep up my vehicles for much longer.

That’s all for now, until I find a site I don’t know how much more detail I could get into and not be a total daydream waste of time.

Great to see you, looking forward to our next meeting.

Take care, NFH

CR, Going through some journal entries from a few months ago and found this from a Seneca quote:

[The wise man] does not have to walk nervously or cautiously, for he has such self confidence that he does not hesitate to make a stand against fortune and will never give ground to her.  He has no reason to fear her, since he regards as held on sufferance not only his goods and possessions and status, but even his body, his eyes and hand, and all that makes life more dear, and his very self; and he lives as though he were lent to himself and bound to return the loan on demand without complaint.

Nor is he thereby cheap in his own eyes because he knows he is not his own, but he will act in all things as carefully and meticulously as a devout and holy man guards anything entrusted to him.  And whenever he is ordered to repay his debt he will not complain to Fortune, but he will say;

“I thank you for what I have possessed and held.  I have looked after your property to my great benefit, but at your command I give and yield it with gratitude and good will.  If you want me still to have anything of yours I shall keep it safe; if you wish otherwise, I give back and restore to you my silver, both coined and plate, my house, and my household.”

Should Nature demand back what she previously entrusted to us we shall say to her too: “Take back my spirit in better shape than when you gave it.  I do not quibble or hang back:  I am willing for you to have straight away what you gave me before I was conscious–take it.”  What is the harm in returning to the point from whence you came?” ‑Seneca, On the Shortness of Life

This fleshes out the basic ideas of non-attachment and how it ensures tranquility.  I especially like the idea of “take back my spirit in better shape than you found.”  Living well for the experience alone of living well and righteously.  This whole of idea of not being a slave to anything lends freedom to my thoughts and ideas.

See you soon. NFH

I found I love the American West, that there’s a whole hell of a lot of country out there that is still pretty untouched, that there’s nothing like the warm rays of first light on a cold desert morning, that freedom is worth running fast and loose for, and that the most important things for me are happiness, health, peace, love, and joy.

I’ve found that wealth follows all that stuff, that dogs are the ultimate animal companion, that sharing hardship with one good friend is better than dining in luxury with a hundred, and that the highest quality people and experiences come to you when you focus on doing your best in life.

I’ve found I’d rather have less than more and that the adage, “The more you know the less you need” rings true for me.

Thought you’d dig it.  Been listening to a lot of Willie Nelson lately, I’ve found he always affects my mood towards freedom, hobo style.  It’s a good thing if I can keep a handle on it.

Cheers, Nik

tough

sense of humor/levity

show generosity

conscious of diction/vocabulary

Justifiable self confidence and belief in self

read for professional development

Joy in their work

care for others

Respect for blue collar work and craftsmen

Attention to detail

Integrity

Self awareness of ability/capability

Understands the place of physicality

Willingness to face facts

List makers

Written goals

Talking to yourself

Lack of patience when it comes to self improvement

Taking the job seriously

Desire/excitement to learn new things

Willingness to eat new ideas

Willing to put in time to increase competence

CR, Am reading “Let My People Go Surfing” by Chouinard and these passages stood out enough for me to adapt them to my own work, with inspiration for a more concrete personal philosophy. Cheers, NFH

Philosophy of Architecture (from Let My People Go Surfing, Y Chouinard 1. Don’t build a new building unless it’s absolutely necessary.  The most responsible thing to do is to buy used buildings, construction materials, and furniture. 2. Try to save old or historic buildings from being torn down.  Any structural changes should honor the historical integrity of the building.  We rectify misguided “improvements” made by previous tenants and strip way fake modern facades, ending up we hope with a building that is a “gift to the neighborhood.” 3. If you can’t be retro, build quality.  The aesthetic life expectancy of the building should be as long as the physical material’s life span. 4. Use recycled, and recyclable, materials like steel girders, studs, re-milled wood, and straw bales.  Install fixtures from waste materials like pressed sunflower hulls and agricultural waste. 5. Anything that is built should be repairable and easily maintained. 6. Buildings should be constructed to last as long as possible, even if this initially involves a higher price. 7. Each [house] must be unique.  The heroes, sports, history, and natural features of each area should be reflected and honored.

Patagonia Philosophy: a deep appreciation for the environment and a strong motivation to help solve the environmental crisis; a passionate love for the natural world; a healthy skepticism toward authority; a love for difficult, human-powered sports that require practice and mastery; a disdain for motorized sports like snowmobiling or jet skiing; a bias for whacko, often self-deprecating humor; a respect for real adventure (defined best as a journey from which you may not come back alive–and certainly not as the same person); a taste for real adventure; and a belief that less is more (in design and in consumption)

My Philosophy: A unconditional love for individual humans I meet, a deep and loving connection for the natural world; a curiosity about how things work, a deep rooted intent to help others reach their potential; a healthy skepticism toward authority; a love for difficult, human-powered sports that require practice and mastery; a disdain for motorized sports like snowmobiling or jet skiing; a respect for real adventure (defined best as a journey from which you may not come back alive–and certainly not as the same person); a taste for real adventure; and a belief that less is more (in design and in consumption)

CR, I probably should have added a few choice pieces of writing lifted off of Steve Solomon’s website (www.soilandhealth.org).

Here are a few to whet your appetite.  I think you’ll really dig this guy:

I have irradicable propensities toward independence, the expression of personal sovereignty and the exercise of liberty.

Great dying words: “I do not regret the journey. We took risks; we knew we took them. Things have come out against us. Therefore we have no cause for complaint.” Captain Scott’s journal, written while freezing to death in the Antarctic.

Only the lead dog sees new scenery.

If one wanted a way to evaluate the worth of an individual, it could be done by measuring how much uncertainty a person could tolerate. Most people can’t tolerate much uncertainty at all and will create things to be certain about rather than stand with one foot on a banana peel and the other firmly planted in mid-air.

The apparency is, that an “open-minded” person gives every viewpoint unbiased consideration. But I’ve never succeeded at convincing an “open-minded” person of anything. Give me instead a person with firm opinions, anytime! I’d prefer encountering someone with firmly held views that conflict with my own. At least this person can make up their mind. Someone who can “make” their mind, can change their mind. In actuality, open-mindedness is one of two phenomena: either someone with nothing at all between the ears, so that all thoughts merely go in one earhole and out the other, or, an “open minded” person is one who gives the ideas and viewpoints of others no reality whatsoever.

“Look at a man the way that he is, he only becomes worse. But look at him as if he were what he could be, and then he becomes what he should be.“Goethe.

All this is taken from: http://www.soilandhealth.org/05steve%27sfolder/0502wisdomofsol.html

Cheers,

Awesome, I’m stoked to meet him.  I’m looking forward to the Zion trip, I’m going to have to break off from the Indoc course for a day or so but that shouldn’t be a big deal.  I’m thinking about building an (amateur, I know) wood bed/rack for the truck until I figure out exactly what I’m going to do.  Looking forward to talking with **** both at the Games and in Zion.

I haven’t read “On Combat”, still finishing Blood and Thunder.  It’s my bedtime book, so I’m only knocking out a few pages a day.  Not sure what’s up next on the reading list, probably a good travel book about a guy and his dog.

The Games are upon us, so next week is major cookie making time, then a long drive up to Aromas.

Also, I think I told you already, when I get back from the Games I’m going to set a date to speak with some local SD SWAT guys re. MindEx stuff; I’ll talk to **** (do you know him) when I get back about squaring that away.  Very excited about that, it will open up all kinds of doors.

Re. the sheepdog stuff:  I like it and understand it, and I can really see how it resonates with many of the guys we both know.  I think there’s a category that’s missing.  I don’t see myself (along with a few other people) as a sheep, sheepdog, or wolf.  I mean, is Billy the Indian school guy a sheep?  A sheepdog?  A wolf?

I’m not super interested in protecting other folks, but am very keen on being independent and ready for the wolf when he comes slipping past the wire, more with what’s at hand than any specific instrument.  Is that blindness or denial?  Are you really a sheep when you don’t have a gun?

“if you want to be a sheepdog and walk the warrior’s path, then you must make a conscious and moral decision every day to dedicate, equip and prepare yourself to thrive in that toxic, corrosive moment when the wolf comes knocking at the door.”  ‑DG

I’ll tell you this; I feel more like a loosely independent feral sonofabitch that has friends in all tribes, and I’m real happy with how I live.  I’ve got a great wife and partner, two good dogs, and the means to always make a living within my head and my heart.  I don’t feel a need to carry a gun, and I don’t see the value in pinning my identification (even in a small part) on being a protector.  Maybe I’ve been composting my own shit too long, but I’d like to see some more gardeners, or shepherds, or wild and kind humans.  Folks without maybe the agility or natural weapons of a sheepdog or wolf, but who use their minds to do many more things than tend a flock of vegetarians.  Was Gandhi a sheep?  A sheepdog?  Hell, he was a wolf to the English, and a warrior to his core, but not in a way that fits into Grossman’s categories.

“But if you are authorized to carry a weapon, and you walk outside without it, just take a deep breath, and say this to yourself…

“Baa.” ‑DG

Maybe he meant a weapon beyond the sense of a gun, or knife, but I don’t think so.  I think this is the kind of thinking that holds us in stasis; we move neither forward nor backward.  We still have wolves and we still have bad ass sheepdogs.  It is damnably exciting to be a sheepdog (or a wolf), but it’s draining too.  Even Grossman says it; you can’t be a sheepdog 24/7.  Well, then who the heck are you?

How do we move into a society where we don’t need as many sheepdogs?  How do we create a society that is not one of sheep, or sheepdogs, but maybe something that wolves avoid…going with the animal example, why not bears?  They keep themselves to themselves, they eat just about anything they can catch, and a sane wolf stays the hell away from them.

None of that is a judgment on how you live; I like what you do and I’m damn thankful for cops and soldiers; being a sheepdog is a good, honorable, difficult job where you have to make decisions every day about a line I’ll hopefully never cross.

I just feel that we’ve got a lot more discussion ahead of us before we make a 3 way split in what defines, even in a small way, a person.  I see such potential for making shepherds out of sheepdogs, something I thought of (although not by the sheep/dog/wolf definition) as a long-term goal for kyk13.

Hell, re-reading that I can see maybe I’m taking it too literally (or personally).  I do want to make clear that I like sheep, sheepdogs, and even the occasional wolf, and I see a place for all of them as well as a few more animals in a good and healthy eco-system.  Looking forward to more discussion when we meet again in the flesh.

Ok for now, Nik

Having successfully made it  through changing out the seal between the distributor cap and the injection pump a few months ago, I figured that changing out the top cover seal and the QA seal would be a snap, especially since I just got VAG COM.  Not so.  I went to scribe marks on the for the QA and scribed them on the wrong surface, so I’ve been hammer modding my way back to normal rpms and something close to the right injection quantity.  Still a long way to go, and I hammered the ever-loving fuck out of my hand today in the process of stopping a runaway engine.

Still, I like mechaniking away on my car.  It always feels so damn good to be in control of your life.