Wet and wild
14 March 2025 | 12:16 am

A storm blew in this afternoon. And by “blew” I mean 30-50 MPH wind hitting the Rolling Steel Tent broadside. Shake shake shake, shake shake shake. Shake my va-an. Shake my va-an.

There was some rain the other day, but it was a genteel drizzle that slightly dampened the ground and dried up shortly after sunrise. Today’s rain came down in hard diagonal bursts. The forecast is guessing a couple more hours of this. I slipped out during a calm moment to take photos.

I had planned on staying here a few more days. Now the storm is saying, “Yeah, you will definitely be staying put until the ground gets drier and firmer.” The way out isn’t all desert pavement, so it’s better to sit tight. No problem. I have plenty of supplies and nowhere I need to be.


Crank ‘er over
13 March 2025 | 12:10 am

Yesterday I did some online price comparisons for the replacement battery. NAPA, the closest source, didn’t show the prices. Hmmm. So what about Walmart? That’s where the now-dead battery was from. The price had been very low, and it lasted longer than expected. How much had prices gone up in seven years? About double. 

For reference I checked O’Reilly. Whoo! Their cheapest battery was 250% higher than my old one. AutoZone, 200% higher. Interstate Batteries wanted 150% more.

All those alternatives would mean driving to Buckeye, Mariposa, or Casa Grande. So I figured I’d at least check at NAPA before burning a bunch of gasoline.

Small town service can be slow. There was one customer ahead of me, getting wiper blades and some type of fluid. And the solo clerk seemed s-o-o-o-o s-l-o-o-o-o. While waiting I wondered if they would even have the battery I needed in stock. But they did, and the price was low enough. So, tah-dah! 


Steak and potato y frijoles soup
11 March 2025 | 6:56 pm

I’m not a fan of Campbell’s soups. They’re essentially a delivery medium for salt. But I was stocking my larder at Grocery Outlet a while back and there was a good deal on Campbell’s Chunky Steak and Potato soup (The Soup the Eats Like a Meal®) and thought, eh, I could do something with that.

Fast forward a couple of months and I did something with that. I added some dehydrated refried beans. That thickened the broth/gravy and blunted the saltiness a bit. The result was much better.

I have some other soup enhancement ideas I’ll try in the future. Rice, lentils, dehydrated mixed veggies, crushed tomatoes…



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