Batten down the hatches! In preparation of tropical storm Elsa I decided to take down my portable garage before the storm did this time. The soft top is back on and the cover added for extra protection. Last year's storms took two portable garages out at once. This frame is the two combined.

 

I like your welding cart. Much better than mine for out-of-garage welding.

 

I wonder if I could put 35s on it without cutting the fenders 😆 its real good for wheeling in the backyard to the 4runner. That was my thinking when getting that cart. Turns out welding cutting and grinding works out good in the portable garage versus the actual garage. Less dust on everything in my garage when I finish.

 

Well that tropical storm really wasn't that bad up this way so I could have left the tent in place. Last weekend was worse weather wise. Look at that once I uncovered the 4runner the weather started to clear up!

 

With all this rain we have lately, this is the best we can do top off wise. We tried it with the sides off. Since this is really a soft top cap for a pickup plus my modifications I wasn't sure how it would work out. Probably not a good idea on the highway though.



fun trip blueberrie picking.

 

Could you send some of that rain this way?? Like, a LOT of that rain?

South Central Oregon, dry as a bone. Biggest forest fire in the US, at about 200,000 acres, and still going. Heck, it went from 70,000 to 150,000 acres overnight one night. A couple of good, heavy, rain showers would be a gigantic help to us, mainly all the firefighters involved. So far, thankfully, none of them has any serious injuries. So far.
So far, too, thank goodness, it's 30 miles from my house, and moving away, but if the wind reverses, I could be SOL. Heck, I'd trade ONE of my Toy's for a few days rain. That should let you know how desperate we are!

Those are some great pictures, though. Is that a pistol range, in the first? Kinda looks like it. Not enough distance for me, for me, but stil...
How did that soft top do on the highway? Especially with the sides up, nevermind in the rain.
Anyway, beautiful places you have out there. Keep enjoying them. Moreso in a 4Runner, naturally

Pat☺

 

Pat: stay safe and have your go bag & family ready to bail. The bootleg fire is no joke. Departments around PDX have crews either there or on standby. I do medical response for a large company in hillsboro, one of my co workers is on standby to head your way if need be.

 

That does look like a shooting range! It's a local farm, Scantic Valley Farm.

The top is surprisingly good on the Highway but if someone opens a front window, it ends up drooping on my head. The main reason I took it off in a parking lot when we took it to Terrivile CT a few weeks ago. I never intended to use the top so much this season but was getting tired of letting the 4runner sit for days on end due to this rain. Speaking of rain I really do wish it would head your way and other dry parts of the country. Not just because I would love to see the sun again but it gets kinda scary with all the wild fires.

Stay safe Pat!

 

I tell ya, we REALLY appreciate all the responses from all over the country. Every single responder is a step closer to getting the fire(s) out. Thank you to yourself, and all the other people responding to this fire.

Yes, we have our grab-n-go bags all set up. Depending on how much advance notice we get, we have LBV's with 2-3 days worth of supplies, ALICE packs with 4-8 days worth, plus clean clothes, and if we're given a few hours, we have enough MRE's for a couple months, clean clothes, tent and sleeping bags, camp stoves and cast iron cookware, the works. We can go anywhere from run like heck on foot, to move to a safe area indefinitely. If I work at it, my 87 pickup can carry almost everything we might need. We would much prefer to carry the critters in the 99 4Runner, so they're protected from the weather, but we'll do what we have to to keep them safe.

Just do a rain dance, but do it backwards!
That should send all the rain back to the west coast, where we could REALLY use it. Hey, you never know.
I would think having the top collapse down on your head might be kinda like wearing a hat? Keeps you dry, and gives a comforting feeling as you drive. As long as it stays out of your eyes. Just a thought.

So far, thankfully, the Bootleg fire is about 30 miles East of us, moving ENE. As long as the whole thing keeps the same pattern, we're in great shape. It reverses it direction of travel, well, we'll have to run. Just like last year with the 242 fire. That one we did have to run from. Thankfully, we have a scanner app my wife found, and we heard it as it was starting, and we were loaded and ready to go, except for our cats and bird, before the Deputy banged on our doorway and told us to go. We grabbed the critters, and away we went, fully stocked and ready to last a long time, should we need to.
​​​​​​​No advance notice whatsoever. They're supposed to give a "get ready", then a "get set", and finally GO alerts. They just weren't ready for the size and rapidity of movement. Didn't help there were "persons" running around throwing highway flares into the woods. Can you say an "Idea" trying to "burn this mother down"? That was put to a stop quickly by local citizens, firemen, and Police/Sheriff Deputies.

This fire got so big so fast mainly due to the draught conditions, coupled with a massive beetle die off. Dry undergrowth, dead pine trees, massive conflageration.

Take care every one! Stay safe. We are
Pat☺

 

Again I wish this rain would just go where it is needed. It was extremely dry last month, now once we get 2 more inches of rain its the wettest July on record.....

Seems we can only have the top off for mere hours this summer I for one am glad we got that top.

this is from today, my wife and son took a trip to the beach and got caught in a storm as they got back to town. I showed him how to put the top back on a few days ago. I was stuck at work 😩

Some photos from this past week cruising around.



Getting caught in another storm Wednesday.

The longest time the top has been off in weeks.

 

Saw this cool 80s Suzuki when out running in the 4runner!



we follow him to get a better look. "It's not for sale " lol it turns out that it belongs to his mother and has the tow bar set up installed for towing behind an RV . Really nice guy.

 

Ahh the joy of hiking at one of our favorite spots without all the people this year. Glad the bar's are back in business 🤣



and a little bit of light 4 wheeling on a short series of state park dirt roads to go from one town to another to get to a grocery store for drinks.

 

today's view from the windshield.


today we took the 4runner on a trip to the Essex Steam Train & Riverboat in Essex CT. We spotted another first gen down there.

Then on the way back after several traffic snarls in Middletown, Hartford and Windsor we got back to town just as another storm broke out. A quick stop in Windsor Locks and got the top back on just before getting wet.

 

Another trip through that horrendous traffic on 91 south but it was worth it for a beach trip after work Monday.



17 rabbits on our way out of the state park.


Hartford. State capital building.


Middletown CT

Pat, we were getting smoke from out your way.....

 

I apologize for the smoke. Sadly, not a lot I can do. My lungs just aren't what they used to be. Smoking for 50 years can do that

I hate to see traffic like you had on the way to the beach. Reminds me of La Honda Rd. on the way to San Gregorio beach, back in the Bay Area. Terrible traffic to put up with just like you had
We have traffic very much like that here in Klamath Falls too. Terrible. I actually had to wait for 2 cars on Highway 97 before I could cross. Nasty indeed!

Cute bunnies you have there. My lovely wife and I used to raise and show bunnies when we were in Yuma. Used the 87 4Runner to pull a trailer to the different shows. The bunnies we raised didn't look much like yours, but hey, a bunny is a bunny. They all taste great stuffed with apples and potatoes, maybe some cinnamon, and wrapped in aluminum foil, grilled. That's the fate of ours that didn't do well at the shows...

Glad you had fun!
Pat☺

 

Mmmm, rabbit. Does not taste like chicken but Ring Neck Pheasant does. So if a buddy offers you one and you need to pluck it, pass and just buy a chicken instead . Ha ha

 

I actually shot one of those in an orange grove in Yuma. Was just walking through the grove, heard something scurrying through the weeds in the next row over. Drew and fired. My pistol, of all firearms! Caught the pheasant just as he started to rise. Right between the shoulder blades. Put him in a heavy paper bag, and took him home. Had some gorgeous feathers, nice long tail feathers. They went into my hat. If anyone asked, I got them in a pawn shop
A little gamey, being a mature male, but pretty tasty.
My lovely wife was out walking our property one night, full moon. Had one burst out and rise right in her face. She swung the sword she was carrying (don't ask) and clipped HIS tail feathers off. We stuck them in HER cowboy hat. Same story, though. Boy those pawn shops in Yuma sure have some unique items!

We had PLENTY of bunnies to eat. Had a bunny barn with over 100 show bunnies in it. We'd sell them to 4H (great program!), and any that we had to put down, we'd just eat. My kids love em. Needless to say, we were VERY careful not to mix males and females. Except one we had trouble with. It had BOTH! It went insane. It wound up being the rabbit in that Monty Python movie. Scary! We didn't even eat him, I can tell you that.

Enjoy!
Pat☺

 

one of the rare times I get to drive the 4runner to work.

 

driving around today after work and stopped by the new and improved Windsor Locks canal parking lot by the historic Montgomery Building. Now a refurbished apartment complex on the side of the Connecticut river.

 

Before the renovation.