Sunday, January 18, 2026

January Jeep Stuff...

We'll start with a bit of irony -- going around the block testing the new dashcam and someone passed me on a double yellow LOL:


On the new security cams:


Work parking lot:


Chuckled when I saw the tag on the window vents:




Somedays you're just not going to be the coolest vehicle in the parking lot, and there's nothing you can do about it.


Oh...that worked out well. I had a couple of these Harbor Freight electricians tool bags I didn't use anymore. Drilled out the rivets to remove the handle and it makes a really handy organizer for my "behind the seat" stuff like paper towels, hand wipes, reach tool, etc., etc. Need to use the other one in the older jeep.




"Hey, I should get a Haynes manual if nothing else carry it in the JL in case something breaks." ... arrives, thought it felt a bit thin, some of the stuff has been moved to online :/


LOL...ordered a backpack about this size from Amazon, came into the office the next morning and we had these in our cubes -- new company logo. They're actually really nice, and I'm a bit of a backpack snob.


Going to use it for stuff I don't want to duplicate but switch quickly between jeeps -- the two-way radios, binoculars, jump starter pack, etc.


Testing out some electronic mounting places...


Used a gear tie (rubber covered wire) as a guide to keep the cables neat. This is two twisted together, I replaced it with a longer one later on.




That came out decent, not perfect -- iron on patch on the backpack, did melt one of the edges a bit.


Set up a small-ish toolkit for the new Jeep. I have a really complete setup in the other; they'll be moved if I'm headed out west or serious offroad. I was able to scrounge up most of the tools from Ed's stuff; he had some nice American made Craftsman stuff. Very little that I bought to round it out.






Used a gear tie to organize the wrenches and sockets so they're not a total jumble.






So far really impressed with the quality of this Chinese-made tool roll:

Monday, December 15, 2025

I may have a problem...another Jeep arrives

So last Tuesday I had put in a 12 hour day at work and come 8pm I was looking for some something mindless to do -- so I started perusing used Jeeps.

I hadn't planned to get serious until April / May but one popped up on CarMax that seemed like a very reasonable price for its condition and the extras on it.

...and Saturday it came home.




























Monday, September 1, 2025

The major reason I haven't been keeping up on this blog...

Working on the history of the fire company.

Partly because I found a source in old weekly newspapers far, far more detailed than I ever expected to find this project grew much larger than I expected as it filled in enough details I could start to connect many things together.

The draft is now ready to print so I can start distributing to several of our former chiefs as well as the current one for their review and feedback.

And this is just until 1990 :)

Given three of our former Chiefs one is 95 and the other two in their 80s I wanted to get the older stuff out to them.

I think 1990 to date will be a bit faster and easier to put together.

Sunday, May 18, 2025

Jeep -- The Farm 2025

I'm way behind the blog updates in general, but also have been spending a lot of time working on the fire company history.

Jeep Club's annual big event at a property one of the club member's family owns and we've re-opened.

Was able to mostly take back roads and secondary state highways up and back, including trying to take a dirt road that I came across about 100 folks either in some hard core paintball or militia exercise; not sure which and not sticking around to find out. Just smile and wave as I turn around.

No video as I didn't realize my Jeep dashcam only had 12 hours and I didn't pull it till the next morning :(



Before I prepped the Jeep, needed to get to finish assembling the new garden beds and move them by the house. Need to order some screened loam this coming week (so I don't have to fight my own stuff to clean out rocks).





Kind of like how I got this packed...much of it would later slide to the back on "the hill."










Heading down the "green trail"...for the color blind.













And...where the green trail forks into blue and black. Not sure how that is supposed to work :/ (there are two short blue segments but jeeepers they're both pretty rough/tough).


Note the fork to green and blue...




Think I'll back up and go green...gotta winch both ways, but only one way is dragging yourself over a rock...


LOL Gaia Maps picked up my attempts to power up the hill before winching. Had it been bone dry I think I would've made it, but with a bit of mud/water getting on the one big rock you had to drive over on the way up just didn't have the traction. Heck I think if I had 35" tires I would've gotten just far enough over to do it. I was that close.






















Took the scenic way back. Going around north side of Barkhamstead Reservoir.

Hartland




North Granby






Cool mid-century modern library in Suffield, but holy f'ing hell -- no licensed and competent arborist could have possibly recommended topping those sycamores. Should've just replaced them; the re-growth will just be weak.




Entering Enfield with Soapstone Mountain in the distance:


Somers and closer to Soapstone:









Still one of my favorite old farmhouse/barn complexes. Love the wooden silo hanging on still: