Some Secrets Are Worth the Wait

Today started with a plan.

I woke up around 7:30 this morning.

No alarm.

There was simply a lot I wanted to accomplish today, and I guess my brain had already decided it was time to get moving.

I honestly can't remember the last time I was able to sleep in.

Over the last few months I've gotten into the habit of waking up early, even when I don't have to.

There are always projects waiting.

Always another idea.

Always something that needs my attention.

Today was one of those mornings where I was ready to get moving.

I had a pretty long list of things I wanted to accomplish, and getting an early start felt important.

By the end of the day, I realized I'd actually gotten through more than I expected.

Not everything...

But enough that tomorrow's list is a little shorter.

Unfortunately, today's blog has to be a little mysterious.

I've been working on something around camp that I really want to show you...

Just not yet.

The reveal is getting close, but I'm not quite ready.

That also means there aren't many pictures today because almost everything I worked on would give away the surprise.

The morning started in the little garden by camp.

I checked on the plants and got the sprinkler set back up to make sure everything was getting enough water.

We had another quick rain shower today.

It came down hard, but only for a few minutes.

Lately that seems to be the pattern.

Just enough rain to wet everything down before the sun comes back out.

While I had the sprinkler running, Wyatt decided it was time to have a little fun.

Apparently, he has discovered that he absolutely loves attacking the stream of water.

He would chase it, bite at it, jump through it, and then stand there waiting for me to move the sprinkler so he could do it all over again.

It's funny because I had no idea he liked playing in the water like that.

Seeing him have that much fun made me stop working for a few minutes and just watch.

Sometimes those little moments become the best part of the day.

The rest of the morning was spent working around camp on my secret project.

Slowly...

Piece by piece...

It's finally starting to come together.

Eventually I realized I needed a few more materials than I originally planned.

So...

Back to town.

Again.

On the way I saw the fawn again.

When I got to town, I stopped at Walmart, the hardware store, and the lumber yard before heading back to Memory Lane.

I thought I had everything.

I was wrong.

As I started putting everything together, several of the bolts I needed somehow disappeared.

I searched everywhere.

The truck.

The workshop.

The ground.

The table.

Every pocket I could think of.

Nothing.

Eventually I accepted defeat.

There was only one option.

Back to the hardware store.

Driving all that way for a handful of bolts didn't seem to make much sense.

But neither did leaving the project unfinished.

So off I went.

Right before leaving, I decided to move a piece of equipment out of the way.

That's when today's next surprise showed up.

All of a sudden the equipment had..

No power.

No lights.

Nothing.

I spent a while trying to figure it out before finally giving up.

I unplugged it and decided maybe walking away for a little while was the best troubleshooting technique.

Sometimes frustration just gets in the way.

When I returned from town with the replacement bolts, I checked it again.

Still nothing.

At that point I decided to ignore it and focus on finishing the project I'd been working so hard on all day.

Once that was finally wrapped up, I resisted the urge to start yet another project.

Instead, I brought the power supply from the equipment inside with my multimeter.

After checking it a few times, I couldn't find any voltage coming through it.

Then, almost by accident, I moved the wire slightly.

The little power light flickered on.

That caught my attention.

I unplugged everything, carried it back outside, plugged it back in, crossed my fingers...

...and it worked.

At least for now.

I can't completely trust it.

In fact, I already ordered a replacement power supply.

It'll probably take a couple of weeks to arrive.

The current one is working again, but I'd rather replace it before it strands me down the road.

Today seemed to involve a lot of running around.

Back and forth.

One store.

Then another.

One problem solved.

Another one appears.

Even Wyatt looked tired by the end of the day.

He tagged along on most of the trips and spent the rest of the time supervising around camp.

I'd say he earned a good nap.

Unfortunately the electrician couldn't make it today. Power had been very intermittant, but he says he will be here tomorrow.

As for dinner...

I'm honestly not even sure what I'm going to eat tonight.

I'm just not that hungry. But I do have some chicken thighs that need to be cooked because I defrosted them yesterday.

One thing I do know is that an early shower felt incredible after another long day.

Tomorrow should be a little different.

I have a few loose ends to wrap up.

And if all goes according to plan...

The project I've been keeping secret is finally getting close enough that I can start sharing it.

Not quite yet...

But soon.

I promise it'll all make sense.

~ Making Memories