Soldier On! 2026

[Farmer X]

Thanks to awl for the kind words! And a marlinspike challenge might be fun...especially if I can get hold of the sort of marlinspike the Boatswain's Mates carried.

Day 24

The USCK made quick work of some plastic tag holders attached to this lunch pail, which was then decorated with a few pins.

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[gustophersmob]

Day 24:

Tools

[Tuisto]

Orwell's 1984 was required high school freshman reading when I was in school.  Walden, Clockwork Orange, Animal Farm and Catcher in the Rye for the classes before me.  We read 1984, They Shoot Horses, Don't They?, True Grit, To Kill a Mockingbird, Fahrenheit 451, Born Free, and a Rod Serling short story collection.  My older sister was disgusted with the book selection that I had to read.  She thought I should read J. D. Salinger's Catcher book.  Best wishes.  G
 

Gary, that's a very good collection of books in total. Clockwork Orange has some content that would probably raise some eyebrows in today's book-banning culture. It's a good book, though IMO. I haven't read They Shoot Horses or Born Free. Also, it got really cold here again... It's almost like the worst of both worlds because during the winters it regularly gets below freezing, and in the summer it somewhat regularly gets above 104°F (40° C).

I'm working my way through Meditations right now, actually, probably around 90%. It's got the same problems The Enchiridion has, with not being a "book" as such, and kind of repetitive. Enjoying it, but I think most people could get by with an abridged version.

Yeah, you're right that there is a bit of repetition in Meditations. Honestly, I kinda still like it all anyways but will agree that for most people an abridged version would give them the gist. I would definitely recommend Krakauer's stuff, though. Into Thin Air is my favourite, but Into the Wild is also good and Under the Banner of Heaven and Missoula are also pretty decent.

Here's the book I'm currently reading, on the left. Neil Peart (RIP) lost his daughter and then his wife. In an attempt at dealing with the grief, he took a sabbatical from his duties as the drummer for Rush and went on an extended motorcycle ride. This is the book he wrote about that trip.
 

I had no idea that Neil Peart wrote a book; that's so cool! I also love the concept of the 'Practice Effect'.

I honestly don't even know what I'd do in a marlinspike challenge. I'm not particularly good at knot-work. But perhaps it would give me a chance to learn/improve!

Day 24 Today I used my Soldier to prise open a particularly stuck wooden box. My wife brought back a bunch of my childhood items that my grandma had been holding on to. This box was in that box. It's a pretty cool little compass!

[Barry Rowland]

I agree that is cool!! 

[WECSOG]

 

[IMR4198]

Day 25

     Boiled some water for cowboy coffee.  Had one cup.  Then another.  I feel sufficiently coffeed for the day.  I have decided that I am oatmeal intolerant, so I had a bowl of grits instead. 
      Reading friend WECSOG's posts reminds me we both have southern roots.  Sporking out sardines and vienna sausages.  I haven't had sardines for a while, but had a couple cans of viennas last week.  These two (along with the beanie weenies) are stuff that were carried doing outdoor sports like fishing.  Fit in a pocket and didn't need cooking.  Don't need to handle them with your sand and fish covered hands either.  Little packs of Lance crackers were good too.  I would probably go for a Little Debbie today. 
      At least the snow is mostly gone.  Sun got some of it and the wind got the rest.  I wonder how many will attempt to make the 90 day stretch?  I am a little reluctant to join in a challenge with less than 10 members to tell the truth.  Challenges really get moving when you have a couple dozen people enthusiastic about it.  I have done a 7 and a 14 day challenge by myself.  Enough friends chimed in with comments to make it tolerable.  The Gas Station MRE challenge didn't have too many people, but it was only a one week event and the contestants were all great.  Best wishes.  G

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[Barry Rowland]

Day 24: We still have a little snow here.  20 degrees F right now, but we didn't get any of the blizzard the coastal folks got. 
Not much happening today, so a pic with a tea tin we picked up sometime.

[WECSOG]

Day 25

     Boiled some water for cowboy coffee.  Had one cup.  Then another.  I feel sufficiently coffeed for the day.  I have decided that I am oatmeal intolerant, so I had a bowl of grits instead. 
      Reading friend WECSOG's posts reminds me we both have southern roots.  Sporking out sardines and vienna sausages.  I haven't had sardines for a while, but had a couple cans of viennas last week.  These two (along with the beanie weenies) are stuff that were carried doing outdoor sports like fishing.  Fit in a pocket and didn't need cooking.  Don't need to handle them with your sand and fish covered hands either.  Little packs of Lance crackers were good too.  I would probably go for a Little Debbie today. 
      At least the snow is mostly gone.  Sun got some of it and the wind got the rest.  I wonder how many will attempt to make the 90 day stretch?  I am a little reluctant to join in a challenge with less than 10 members to tell the truth.  Challenges really get moving when you have a couple dozen people enthusiastic about it.  I have done a 7 and a 14 day challenge by myself.  Enough friends chimed in with comments to make it tolerable.  The Gas Station MRE challenge didn't have too many people, but it was only a one week event and the contestants were all great.  Best wishes.  G

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Gary, your comments about Beanie Weenies and such reminded me that we have another Gas Station MRE Challenge coming up!  And then you actually mentioned it. 
Awlthough it was too late to join in by the time I discovered it last year, I followed along and it looked like a great time.
Actually the combat candy mini assignment had me thinking about it a couple days ago, and I was in Dollar General yesterday perusing some of their possible GSMRE entrees. The fact that it will be right after this Challenge helps me stay on track for the full 90.
https://forum.multitool.org/index.php/topic,94730.0.html

D+24

Still slicing onions like a champ!  Well, if a Champ had a combo blade. Which I'm glad it doesn't.
Anyway, the point is that while I still prefer a plain edge, the combo edge isn't the hindrance I thought it would be.
   

[rep]

The book comments interest me.  I had a lot of the same required reading as IMR.  I hated Catcher in the Rye because of a certain evil character, though I have been told that is because the book is so well written.  My wife (now) and I watched the Clockwork Orange movie over 30 years ago (on a fishing boat) and we are still bothered by it.  1984 and Brave New World both seem currently unnecessarily appropriate. If Walden is too long ( I read it every year) read the essay 'Walking'.  https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/1022

[IMR4198]

   Yes, this challenge is currently becoming a book review and possibly a food related chat.  I remember the students before me had to read Babbitt by Sinclair Lewis and The Jungle by Upton Sinclair.  I have no idea what high school students are reading now. 
    I noticed friend Tuisto's weather related comments.  You might find some humor in the fact that a very good MTO friend is located a little farther south in the same state you are in currently.  He calls where he lives 'The Devil's Armpit'.  It is pretty cold here just now, but I was able to get out and walk around some.  While I was piddling around the back yard doing something, I happened to look up and saw I was being watched by three deer and eight wild turkeys.  They were all about a hundred yards from me.  Just watching.  The turkeys sauntered away undisturbed.  The deer decided to follow the turkey's lead and decamped as well.  Good things and bad things wherever you live.  Best wishes.  G
 

Late PS:  Tomorrow I will probably post a Ms. Phoenix related photo.  Bring popcorn.  G

[BPRoberts]

I take it back, I did read some Krakauer, Into The Wild. I mostly enjoyed it. The first 3/4 or so about McCandless were solid, when he diverged and started talking about himself more towards the end my interest wavered a little. I think a lot of young guys would benefit from reading about it. I think the feelings that lead to McCandless's self-imposed exile and death are more common than we'd like to admit in our society among ~20 year old guys.

We just got a new curriculum at the school I teach at, so our reading list is a bit in flux. In 11 or 12th grade we currently have: Frankenstein, Friday Night Lights, 1984, and The Great Gatsby. I'm not sure what the lower grades are up to, it's all I can do to keep track of mine with three new courses this year. I expect one or two of those will drop, and a couple others will get added as we get settled in over the next year or two.

D+24

I knew the 93s are thicker than the 91s, but I didn't realize how much better that makes the bottle opener. Right off in one pop!

[gustophersmob]

Day 25:

Opened some Pig water socks for my basement water situation.

[psyjohn]

I knew the 93s are thicker than the 91s, but I didn't realize how much better that makes the bottle opener. Right off in one pop!

I am very jealous of that Vernors in a glass bottle!

[IMR4198]

Day 26

   Did a walk down and cleared dead tree branches from the high winds.  I saw the little blue car belonging to Ms. Phoenix backed up in her driveway in the same position as a week ago.  As far as I can tell.  I stood at my beat-up mailbox and took a couple of pix.  Something killed a rabbit right outside my window, then I heard little wibbly piping sounds as some unidentified things came up on my porch.  Likely an owl in the first incident and probably raccoons in the second, but who knows?  I ddn't get much of a photo of the rustic cottage belonging to Ms. Phoenix, but at least you can see the little blue car and the green drift fence that the state put up to keep trash from blowing onto the road.  It looks a little like a trailer in the photo, but it isn't.  It is just a creepy little cottage.  Maybe three or four small rooms.  I have been inside one room years ago when another family tried to live there for a while.  Best wishes.  G
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[WECSOG]

Day 26

   Did a walk down and cleared dead tree branches from the high winds.  I saw the little blue car belonging to Ms. Phoenix backed up in her driveway in the same position as a week ago.  As far as I can tell.  I stood at my beat-up mailbox and took a couple of pix.  Something killed a rabbit right outside my window, then I heard little wibbly piping sounds as some unidentified things came up on my porch.  Likely an owl in the first incident and probably raccoons in the second, but who knows?  I ddn't get much of a photo of the rustic cottage belonging to Ms. Phoenix, but at least you can see the little blue car and the green drift fence that the state put up to keep trash from blowing onto the road.  It looks a little like a trailer in the photo, but it isn't.  It is just a creepy little cottage.  Maybe three or four small rooms.  I have been inside one room years ago when another family tried to live there for a while.  Best wishes.  G
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Interesting. I wonder if Ms. Phoenix is a little old disabled widow/spinster, or something else?
The area looks very similar to the area I live in.

D+25

I was reading in my book by Neil Peart, and came across this line:

[IMR4198]

    Someone asked me about the person a year or two ago.  Ms. Phoenix is an alias.  The woman has an ordinary Latina name.  I forget what it is.  Early on I thought about going down there and offering to mow and weedwack some for her.  No charge, of course.  It is a tiny spot to mow around the old house.  At the time I had more than enough stuff to keep me busy already.  If there had been someone outside, I might have been more inclined to stop and talk.  Below is the answer I gave the enquirer a couple of years ago.  I don't think I can improve on it.  Best wishes.  G

"Gal, or ghoul.  Big wolfy dog, or dogs, that would tear limb from limb someone holding a misplaced letter in front of them with an unsteady step and shaky smile?  Wild eyed crazy person who would shoot poor friendly old IMR on sight?  Starting out with a song in my heart and winding up chained in the root cellar with a lump on my head?  With some other skeletons likewise attired in iron links?  No thanks."

    Whatever or whoever this person is, they certainly leave their house less than anyone I have ever known.  Where does the garbage go.?  Milk cartons, potato peelings, Ritz cracker boxes, candy wrappers, old cans.  Where do they go?  How does she get food in the first place?  Maybe this person does go out in the middle of the night.  Maybe she tosses trash bags off the bank into the river.  Can't go to the recycle centers in the night.  It is a mystery to me.  Little blue car was in the same spot this morning as I made a pilgrimage to the post orifice and then W-Mart.  G
 

[gustophersmob]

Day 26:

More tools.

[Barry Rowland]

Day 25: Fired up the pellet stove to take the dampness out of the house. 

[IMR4198]

Day 27

   I feel like a short timer on this here soldier mission.  Don't be sending me out on no hazardous patrols.  All I wanna do is lay in this here bunk, read these funny books, and wait three more days till I can get back to the world.  So leave me alone. 
   The varmints finally et up all of the Pepperidge Farms bagged stuffing.  Little seasoned bread cubes.  I had several bags for some reason.  They were still edible and you can eat them as a side dish to vegetables and stuff.  I just didn't feel like eating any more and besides nocturnal vermin have to eat too.  I think there is a can of chickpeas but the critters are too smart to eat those.  Next, I will have to get rid of the truly inedible tuna.  Yeech.  Sad part is, they will eat that slimy stuff with relish.  I have fed them some before.  Num, num. 
   The bots at Azamov must be harvesting data from MTo.  Like the other day when I made a favorable comment on friend Dan's portable radio.  Today I am getting an ad from them trying to sell me 'vintage radios.'  This isn't the first time. 
    Photo from a walk.  I carry the cheap jersey gloves in a coat pocket.  I never saw a green pair before.  I think that one got left in a washer with some bleach and turned green.  Best wishes.  G
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[Barry Rowland]

Yessir, time to start turning your gear in soon!

Day 26: Opened up a bag of almonds.

[WECSOG]

Day 27

   I feel like a short timer on this here soldier mission.  Don't be sending me out on no hazardous patrols.  All I wanna do is lay in this here bunk, read these funny books, and wait three more days till I can get back to the world.  So leave me alone. 
   The varmints finally et up all of the Pepperidge Farms bagged stuffing.  Little seasoned bread cubes.  I had several bags for some reason.  They were still edible and you can eat them as a side dish to vegetables and stuff.  I just didn't feel like eating any more and besides nocturnal vermin have to eat too.  I think there is a can of chickpeas but the critters are too smart to eat those.  Next, I will have to get rid of the truly inedible tuna.  Yeech.  Sad part is, they will eat that slimy stuff with relish.  I have fed them some before.  Num, num. 
   The bots at Azamov must be harvesting data from MTo.  Like the other day when I made a favorable comment on friend Dan's portable radio.  Today I am getting an ad from them trying to sell me 'vintage radios.'  This isn't the first time. 
    Photo from a walk.  I carry the cheap jersey gloves in a coat pocket.  I never saw a green pair before.  I think that one got left in a washer with some bleach and turned green.  Best wishes.  G
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Relish awlways makes tuna better.

D+26

Working on my combat bicycle, using the Soldier to turn a screw.

[Barry Rowland]

That's a great Philips head!

[BPRoberts]

Some of you right now:
https://getyarn.io/yarn-clip/38dddb24-e2ca-47f2-b583-3c32a981e3b3

D+25

My wife has been teaching me trick taking games, so I got these French/Tarot decks. Anyone want to suggest a game for her to teach me? Or read cards?

[WECSOG]

That's a great Philips head!

[gustophersmob]

Day 27:

Soldier and friends.

[Tuisto]

Hey friends, sorry, had a sort of situation happen and I'm currently in Canada without my SAKs. I will post the photos I missed when I get back on Sunday. And then also whatever make-ups are required. Love seeing all the photos!

[IMR4198]

Day 28

    We wondered where you were.  I had a pal named Dooner who got into situations.  He never wound up in a different country, however.  Once he did wake up in a ditch in Cornelia, Georgia.  With no idea how he got there.  He told me his mother had already prophesied that if he kept up the way he was living that he would wind up sleeping in a ditch.  She didn't mention that it would be in another state.  Maybe you will have time to visit a store or two and see if you can find a nice Canadian bargain on a SAK. 
    I know where I spent last night.  I participated in a Texas Lumberjack match with my bed covers.  For part of the night, I was wrapped up like the dog part of a corndog in blankets.  Finally, I ended up with the covers all in a wad on the floor.  At least I was still in the bed.  I slept maybe one fitful hour.  Dreamed I helped a friend rebuild the half of a bridge that had washed out.  Later on, I walked back down to the site and saw both halves of the bridge had been carried away by the flood. 
    Old photos with a GAK.  Best wishes.  G
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[Barry Rowland]

I've had a couple of those moments too! 

Great pics Gary.  That's a dashing looking horse and rider!  I've spent a good portion of my life around horses in one way or the other. 

Day 27: Cut open a wood pellet bag and some treats, but just a vanity pic today 

[IMR4198]

   Thanks, Barry.  Seems like everybody is going through something this week.  I hope friend Tuisto can get the best possible outcome to whatever he has going on.  Little problems, big problems.  Losing some sleep and fighting the covers all night doesn't amount to much of anything.  Some people on here are facing some big problems that can't be solved by taking a nap after lunch. 
    Barry, I know you are one of the Opinel gurus here.  With all the rain, I decided to check on my Opies and see how the moisture was affecting them.  I will put my observations in a boring post after the Soldier challenge (at least my portion) is finished.  I had to look up whether this February was a 28 or a 29.  I came back with 28 for an answer. 
     The photos are from 1941 at Fort Bragg, NC.  The Army still had horses in their field artillery units there.  Best wishes.  Gary
 

[WECSOG]

D+27

Awl the talk about tuna whetted my appetite. Soldier did the honors of opening the tin.