As you know, I have a few irons in the fire. One such iron I’ve put on the back burner, but my Patreon crew has had access to it for quite a while in rough draft form.
This would be STORY2, “The Storyteller’s World,” book two of what is probably my least commercially successful series, but a space-opera universe that I really like. Therefore, I will publish it, caution be damned. Even if it’s a money loser, I don’t give a shit.
So, around a ton of life distractions, I managed to compile and edit the final rough draft just now. Some 76,000 words, which is a typical book length for me.
It was fun getting back into the world of Joe Johnstone, and seeing what happened to him on this latest and bravest of humanity’s new worlds. I’d like to think I did an OK job of imagining what it would be like, to drop into a hostile world. To see things for the first, and try not to die from accident, predation, or a simple lack of food.
But about twenty minutes ago, I hit “send,” and away it flew on the internet to my editor for one of the last stops before publication.
Wow, am I glad I finally pulled my head out and made this happen.
Now, all I have to do is a LOT of writing to get INVASION1 to a similar state for the Christmas reading season. I said at the beginning of the year that I wanted four titles out in 2023, and it is still feasible.
Something tells me, however, that there will not be four titles next year. It’s a fairly punishing schedule. The saga isn’t over yet, but I’ve made a clean shot at meeting my goals for the year.
Good question, actually. Think of it as the old WW2 Jeep, but with some modern must-haves, like a reliable engine and five-speed transmission. Plus a digital speedometer/tach, the roll cage is kind of nice, and seat belts are a plus. The old Willys didn’t have that stuff, and the five-gallon gas tank was under the driver’s seat. Kinda dangerous. So, there was room for improvements in the original design, and Mahindra made them.
But the good parts they left alone. Rugged design. Honest steel construction. Ridiculously steep gears- 5.38’s, with a low and hi range transfer case and Dana 44 style axles. Needless to say, this is not a highway vehicle, and neither is it intended as one. This wagon was most comfortable driving around at about 40 mph in fifth gear, 2WD. Sure, it would go faster. But why? As an “under-speed utility vehicle,” this guy can’t be operated on limited access highways, anyway, and its legal top speed is 35 mph.
Once again, not a highway vehicle, and not intended as such, either. No, this is an off-road beast, with its only paved miles being back roads to get to local trails and forests. Once you appreciate the Roxor for what it is, you can see what a freak it is- a throwback to an earlier generation’s craftsmanship and ruggedness.
Guys, I’ve gotten some work out of this wagon. Observe.
This was the Roxor’s first chore- a dead elm that had crushed my pasture fence. You can’t see it in the pic, but this is seriously steep. Without the Roxor- a really crappy job. The following pic gives you an idea of the hole we worked in.
It was a big tree, and the job took a couple of days. It didn’t help when I was climbing out of this spot, at the worst possible moment, one of my goats decided she needed to be right where I was driving. Well, I didn’t want to run her over, so I had to back up and try again. This is a lot steeper than it looks- without the Roxor’s crawling ability, it would have been a no-go.
Before I did this job, though, I put a lot of thought into what it would take to make the Roxor trail worthy, and a worker, as opposed to a toy. Looking at the original design, some mods had to be made. One was a means of protecting the seats and keeping stuff (like logs) from rolling around in the crew compartment.
Luckily, I had a few pieces of steel left over from an oil tank I cut up years ago. I never throw away “scrap” pieces of steel. It’s just too useful if you can do a little fabrication. Observe.
A little welding, a little grinding, and a whole lot of 2.99 tie-down two-packs from Harbor Freight, and I had what I needed. A means to divide the vehicle, and to protect my seats. From things like really big frickin’ logs.
The divider was fabbed from the old oil tank, a steel cattle T-post, and a couple of U bolts to secure it in place to the roll cage. The bottom jammed into a narrow crevice by the rear fender wells, and in subsequent testing, I can confirm that it is very solid. But why did I need all of those tie-downs?
You can NEVER have too many tie-downs! I’m a big believer in keeping your tools and gear tightly secured. Not only is it neat, but it’s safer, too. If you get in some kind of misfortune, you don’t have big, heavy things flying around. The top row is reserved for a future rear window. I plan to make a cab enclosure from marine-grade vinyl. I just haven’t gotten to it yet.
So far, the Roxor has met or exceeded my expectations. The elm job, for example, would have been terrible without it. Here’s a pic of what happened to the elm after a few days work.
This is a versatile machine. As I’m pretty familiar with its pattern, the old GI Jeep, it hasn’t surprised me. No, it’s the same buggy without outdated crap and antique parts. This is what I wanted, and after years of chasing my tail, it’s what I got. The hell of it is that it was much less expensive than a typical plastic side-by-side, and much more practical. If you’re in the market for a vehicle like this, I can recommend the Roxor.
Of course it’s fine off-road. This is what it was built for.
This ditch, which is gnarlier than it looks, is typical of the sort of obstacles that I encounter around here. The Roxor made short work of it, as you can see.
Pretty glad I did this. It’s been a lot of work to get it close to where I want it, but now it’s there.
I think this is important. Way more important than my usual gibberish. It involves the upcoming referendum in Australia about the parliamentary referendum on an official indigenous Voice, and this was an interview I did with Elana Mitchell over the weekend in that regard.
Here’s the link- I encourage you to click on it and check it out.
A few clarifications re: the podcast. While speaking, I did my best to stick to the facts and the facts only. I gave only a thumbnail sketch of my military service, so I glossed over a lot.
If anyone wants the full details, I’m happy to provide them via email.
In regards to my family’s history and tribal affiliation, much of this is also available in public records. Minnesota does an amazing job with historical documentation. However, I also relied upon family oral history, which was astonishingly accurate over a 230-year sweep of history.
‘Nuff said.
Elana did an amazing job in helping me tell a very personal, very painful, story. The linked page she created is comprehensive and professional.
If you have the time, take a look. It’s important.
You may have noticed that I’ve gone a bit dark around here lately.
Don’t worry, I haven’t forgotten about you. It’s just that a long-awaited reality has finally come to fruition- the arrival of my very own fully operational Death Star, in the form of a pattern true Indian Jeep, otherwise known as the Mahindra Roxor.
I bought a base model and had the dealer install a few options. Trivial things such as a windscreen, a trailer hitch, and wipers. I splurged and even got a wiper wash motor.
When Mahindra means a base model, they mean a base model. You get a functional off-road vehicle with tail/brake lights and headlights. That’s about it. You must either pay someone to do everything else, or you do it yourself.
The wipers, hitch, and windshield were a bit much, so I paid for the installation. However, I left plenty of work aside for myself. I’ve been busy with these additional mods over the past week. The mods are creature comforts and safety features. They were largely inexpensive, thanks to Amazon, but labor-intensive work.
What did I do? I added turn signals. This was a real chore- you must drill holes in brand-new, freshly painted sheet metal. It’s not for the faint of heart. If you are a few millimeters off, it will look like crap. You only get one chance to get it right. Therefore, a good layout is a must. It’s time-consuming. Also, I added a radio and a license plate bracket. This needed correct, properly routed wiring and a new dedicated fuse box.
I don’t know if you’ve ever installed a car radio, but it involves contorting yourself under the dash to route wires and make connections. And BTW, the Roxor had zero provisions for mounting said radio and speakers. Therefore, more holes had to be drilled while I was already in what amounted to a stress position.
Guys, I’m sore as hell.
However, all the crawling on the ground and being jammed under the dash bullshit is done, and everything works.
I wanted to really press on this past week because we had lovely weather, some of the last of the year. This makes life a lot better when you’re doing work outdoors.
Something had to give, and that happened to be writing. However, it’s all over but the crying. The Jeep is now roadworthy, and I still have some mods to do to make it trail-worthy. However, that’s what I know of as “gentleman’s work,” it doesn’t involve me stuffing my body into unfriendly and unyielding spaces. And the hell of it is that the Roxor is an easy vehicle to work on, with plenty of space. You should try doing wiring on a subcompact- it’s a special breed of hell, and my hat is off to the peeps who do it, day in and day out.
The Interstellar Valley 