He called from his usual gas/ice/rest stop on Red Rock Road outside Reno and arrived without incident in his Black Nissan Pathfinder that he only has to drive up to the property. It is a beast of a rig and has served him well, well, after some initial investments. He pulled up top about 3 o’clock and I was already done unloading the truck and setting everything up so I was in good shape to welcome him. Bob had already arrived as well and came out to greet him as well. I was great to be together. Puppy was super excited also.
We got him unpacked and organized and rolled right into some cocktails. Bob showered and handles a great tri-tip BBQ with zucchini and potato salad. It was excellent. Mike didn’t last much past dinner as that first day is always huge. Bob and I walked down to the cemetery to look at the new plantings and the lone surviving tree. Puppy was much pleased. Bob and I lingered for a while on the deck checking out the last of the snow on Eagle Peak in the Warner’s and eventually the stars. I called K in bed as usual and slept like a log, meaning puppy slept well allowing me to sleep well. I let him out shortly after dawn so he could investigate everything he was smelling and hearing and I could sleep a couple more hours.Bobby had already been up as usual and Mikey was up very early for him, so we had a nice morning of calm, cool, exquisite weather. Bob started installing the screen doors on the Yellowstone that Ralph made for us; Mike started cleaning the entire trailer with chlorox, and I started working on the wood box on the kitchen. Puppy was running around to each of us all day checking up and investigating and then running off to the next and so on. I didn’t get too far along before Kelly pulled up with his backhoe. Kelly blows my mind.

I had laid out his work a number of times in my head to maximize his time with us and be efficient with his time. However, this time he wasn’t so certain about what time he would arrive so rather than meeting him at the cemetery and working our way up, I let him come up top while we worked away until he arrived. After a warm greeting, I asked Kelly bring a scoop of cinders down to Bob’s driveway. Bob met him down in front of his cabin and they worked on where exactly to dump and spread it. After another scoop, Kelly had tripled the are Bob had covered when he brought up a load of black cinders from Tim at TNS Ready Mix in Susanville. Bob was much pleased.

With Kelly back, I had him move 4 boulders that were just laying about around the place. He masterfully placed them side by side exactly where I wanted them just inches from the new kitchen annex cabin. They look fantastic. With that, I asked Kelly to make a new water bar at the end of the loop road where it comes into the main road, and then work his way down the road clearing out the existing water bars and spreading the last of the red cinders to cover a couple of bare spots. I could hear his hoe beeping every time he went in reverse off in the distance while I got back to my wood box work. I was happy to be knocking this one out as I think it will be a great addition and a little bit of a wind break between the kitchen wall and the annex cabin.

Bob came over to me a little worked because he was having a hard time installing the sweet screen door Ralph had made for us. The install absolutely should not have been this perplexing, especially with the fine work of Ralph and the knowledge and skill of Bob, but it was taking a toll. The interior door handle did not line up with the space Ralph made in the screen door and built these cool sliding panels to reach through to close the door, but keep the insects out. Bob asked if he should try to carve out a sp0ace for the handle and I said yes, and so it was.

An hour or so later, Bob came back with an update. Somehow the tape indicating “top” was on the bottom and this made the space Ralph made not line up with the handle. Bob was a tad embarrassed because the larger opening of the door is on the bottom and that should have given away the error, however, one door had been carved up something ugly, so Bob installed the second door right side up this time. It went much easier, however, the slot for the door handle still wasn’t quite wide enough, so Bob still had to carve out about a 2” half moon in the door to make it work.

While he was working away on the door, I decided I would stay over there and install some screen over the end window in the Leo room. I had been putting this project off for a year out of fear and loathing, but it was time. Joe Eddy, Bob’s son, his girl and 5 other friends were coming up this weekend so we were all in a bit of a flurry to take care of some business to make it ready for them. This was the motivation I needed apparently as I just went into it straight away. As is often the case, the job went spectacularly easy and I was done in about5 half an hour and much pleased with my off-grid work.

While I was at it, I plugged an obvious mouse entrance much to my delight and felt the Leo Suite was now ready for maximum human occupancy. Bob finished his work on the Mario and it too could probably be deemed finished as he installed a window screen last trip up and now the door, so that is super exciting. Hopefully we can entice Ralph to make another door for us and that will finish finish the Leo. I went back to check on Mike and see how his bleaching of the trailer was going. Bob helped him lay some wire screen over the floor heating vents and plug some other suspicious openings and they really felt they had plugged the main mouse entrances. With Mike’s thorough scrubbing, the trailer was in fine shape as well.

It was late afternoon and Mike headed for a much deserved nappy nap. I was supposed to meet Kelly down by the cemetery when he was done with road work so he could load the 4 big barn poles onto my trailer so I could haul them back up top. I hooked up the trailer and started driving down to meet him when I saw this strange apparition coming up the road. It took me a minute to figure out that it was Kelly in the backhoe with the bucket raised way high in the air loaded with the 4 – 16’ long poles.

It was an incredible sight as it rocked back and forth violently as he dropped into these massive water bars he had just created and the tiny front wheels of his backhoe disappeared in the trough and shook the entire rig and load. Then up it would crawl and the back wheels would hit that hump and rock the hell out of it and then back up the front lip of the water bar for some easier traveling until he dropped into the next bar. It was insane what he was doing, but as usual, doing with extreme skill and farm boy “gotta get er done” approach to projects big and small.

While his hauling the poles up for me was a great surprise, I was now faced with the task of reversing up the road, across several water bars with the trailer. I did it surprisingly well and even got an “atta boy” from Kelly when we both got up top. He dumped those poles exactly where I wanted them and we were done. Except that I asked him to take a couple scoops of cinders to pile around the tip of the iceberg rock in the middle of the road between my cabin and the kitchen that he tried to dig out but after about a 10’x10’ hole, still couldn’t even make the boulder vibrate with his bucket smashes.

We chatted for a while and then we settled up. He took a big scoop of cinders on down the road with him to fill in the last spot on the road without adequate coverage. He is truly a great guy, so giving and generous with his time and we are forever grateful he is willing to drive way out to us with his backhoe to do stuff for us we otherwise could not do. Just a super super guy. With that, I got back to my wood box and Mikey soon joined me as I scraped together enough odds and ends to give it a decent roof and walls. I was excited to take another cool little job off the list and it will be a great addition for BBQ wood or the little fires we have in Kenny’s cauldron or in the wood stove in the kitchen annex cabin.

I was chef for the evening so I didn’t linger too long with Mike before hopping in for a much needed sweet sweet shower. It was glorious. I pulled out 2 pork tenderloins, the Frito scoops and salsa, the zucchini and yellow bell pepper and let it all get up to room temperature while Bob showered and Mikey and I enjoyed a celebratory beverage. We were soon joined by Bobby and enjoyed another libation as the coals heated up. The weather was awesome and we each had a great sense of accomplishment. The pork was great and accessorized by some apple sauce made for excellent vittles. We were stuffed.

After a massive day, Mike and Bob were off to bed pretty early. I took a slow stroll around the loop road and then off the North side a little bit to some rock outcroppings I had never visited. It was very cool. Eventually I was back at the lower terrace but I didn’t realize it until I was literally looking at the chairs. When you are out in a new part of the Hill, it is easy to get caught up in the beauty and wonder of experiencing a new area, even a new spot is exciting because each place is so special. The views and different perspectives, different rock formations and flowers and plants and trees, and interesting clearings or moist spots with grasses. It is wonderful, when it is not hot!

I was toast by the time I got back to the deck and so headed off to bed. Puppy and I slept like rocks again until the wee hours when I let him out. He was happy to get out and rage and explore. He barked a little at god knows what, but generally waited on the deck for me to get up. I knew Bob would be shoving off early so I got up and joined him on the deck. We had had another great trip, but it is always melancholy for me to have them end. Mike was up again super early for him and the three of us chatted for a spell before Bob shoved off. It was fabulous to be together and get some things done before Joe and his friends come up.

It was still early and Mike and I were up and ready to go so we started with the watering. The pump fired up right away which was awesome and the barrel was filled in no time. I don’t know what Mike and Bob did with the pump when they filled up the barrel at the shitter, but it has been working like a prince since. We headed down to the cemetery and started watering when I remembered I forgot to grab some shovels so Mike drove back up the hill for them. Now with shovels in hand, we were able to water and make better rings around the plants to hold the water in place around the root balls rather than just running on down away from the plants.

Once Mike had watered the first few groups of plants and moved down the road, I got to cutting down one of a three trunked Juniper that was too close to one of the main plantings. The saw worked well and I was done in no time. I trimmed the remaining 2 trunks up high and it looks real good, for now anyway. Mike ran out of water so he made another run up the hill. While he was gone I piled the brush and fixed water troughs around the plants. When Mike got back, we watered the last of the plants and then hit few again until the barrel was empty. It was about 11:00 and we were done. It was a great feeling.

We decided to go ahead and eat lunch and rest up. Mikey started fooling with the trailer again and I got to watering the trees up top; the few that remain alive. He came over to help watering below the deck and we finished up in no time. We sat on the bench in the shade and gazed out upon our accomplishment. After putting the hose and the water pump away, I began to pick up and organize the stuff I needed to take home. After a bit, Mike helped me load up the new fire box with wood and we were done. I took another great shower and set up some cocktail fixins, Mike joined me shortly and we had a lovely respite while letting the steaks and taters get up to room temperature while the briquettes got fired and we reveled in all the work we got done.

Mike brought up 3 massive rib eye steaks and I brought 3 baked potatoes. I sautéed some onions and mushrooms in a cast iron skillet on the barby and we sat down to an excellent and well-deserved meal. We were both thrashed but feeling good so I made a little fire in Ken’s cauldron on the deck and put on some George Harrison that Mike enjoyed and we sat and relaxed and listened to tunes for a while. It was awesome. Mike wandered off to bed and I walked the loop with puppy then sat on the deck to watch the stars come out. I crawled into bed after much wine and slept very well until puppy woke me up about dawn.

I was determined to leave by noon so as to get home in plenty of time for Game 1 of the NBA Finals, so I only wanted to caulk the wall of my cabin as my one job of the morning before I left. I had already brought in all the materials I needed so after hanging with Mike for a minute up on the deck and reminiscing about the trip, I got to it. I found 2 of my caulking tubes dried out so I immediately knew I wouldn’t have enough. The first caulk I applied said “clear” on side, but went on white, so I hope it actually dries clear. I got better and better at applying the caulk and soon got into a groove. I moved my dresser and applied caulk behind it so I wouldn’t have to move it again when I finished the job. I swept the floor while it was moved.

I soon ran out of caulk and called it a day. Mike was packing up and closing down the trailer and I was soon packed as well. Mike headed on down the road as I watched the last of the dust settle and was rushed with emotion. He hasn’t made it up the Hill often and I wondered how many times he would again. I hope it isn’t a too small a number. I loaded up the last of my stuff and had a beer, showered, then got the last of my stuff stashed away. Puppy and I walked the loop one more time and then we shoved off. We had a smooth ride home with a stop at the Vista Point and still made it in 4 hours. Another great trip, especially with my oldest brother.

Hart Hill: Mikey’s Coming!