There won’t be any updates until Monday morning. Today and tomorrow are the estate sale. And, of course, it poured all day on Friday and into this morning until about 4am. So, we decided to section off half the shop with tarps. Thankfully, we’ve had some family help. Meanwhile, the stuff we did pull outside is covered in tarps and popups. There is little doubt Ann and I are questioning our decision to do this… we just hated throwing away or moving this stuff, once again.

Thankfully, the rain has stopped and skies are clearing, so it is time to get back outside. We need to be ready in two hours. Wish us luck!

Rob is hoping to find the following items for his CJ-2A. The closer to North Carolina the better, but he is willing to ship for the right items. Email him at rob @ humblerootslandscaping.com (remove spaces around the @ before emailing him). If you’d like him p#, comment below and I will email it to you.

1. A half (or possibly full) cab for a CJ-2A in good shape.
2. Some 1950s 10 spline hubs. He currently has later model Warn hubs, but hopes to find something earlier to better reflect the age of his CJ-2A. Examples of what he is looking for include Early Dualmatic (lever-type), Early Cutlas, Early Warn, Free-Lock, Kelly, or Husky hubs  are what he is hoping to find.
3. Finally, he’d love to get a Capstan winch (complete setup), but understands how rare such an item is.

Ann and Zollie

On Tuesday, we lost internet for the entire day, so I just took the day off the computer.

Well, that was part of the reason. The other part was that on Monday it rained all day, so Ann, the dogs, and I enjoyed some quiet time listening to the rain. It was a good day to decompress.

However, our 13-year-old elderly dog Zollie did not enjoy it quite as much. He struggled on and off most of the day, coughing and spitting up some phlegm. Despite his medication, his failing heart seemed to be failing a little more than usual. Eventually, we went to the animal hospital, hoping that whatever Zollie was fighting was something that could be cleared up, but it was not to be. While his will and attitude were very much intact, his body was failing him. He had life left in him, but he’d be in pain and uncomfortable. So, we held him as he was put to sleep…

In 2010, before I entered Ann’s life, she was living in Omaha and on her own after her ex bf chose to date their babysitter (awkward). Between her already existing PTSD and that tumultuous event, she decided to get a PTSD service dog.

She had always been a big-dog type of girl, but her lingering injuries meant she could only handle a small dog. After searching, she found herself at a Humane Society kennel where she spotted a tiny dog with a big attitude, a foo-foo shitzu-pomeranian mix, exactly the kind of dog she never thought she’d own. The precocious little pup was keeping the rest of the other dogs in the kennel under control and at bay. She liked his toughness and confident attitude, so she took him home.

Zollie at Four Corners. He was always patient with his Momma’s photography.

Her new dog’s role was to help calm her when she she felt her anxieties building. So, she named him after a drug with a similar purpose: Zoloft; but altered it slightly to Zollie.

When I entered the picture in 2011, Zollie was already a well-trained and well-behaved little dog. He could sit through a movie at a movie theatre without making a peep. He could fetch her inhaler on command. If you made the whistle sound of a bomb falling he would duck under the nearest chair (one of Ann’s favorite tricks and a reflection of her sometimes-sick humor). He was so well mannered that you could put him in the front yard and he wouldn’t wander away, even if dogs walked past the yard. He travelled well and rarely complained.

Zollie, Ann and I going camping in 2014. He really didn’t like camping (dirt, fires, slick camper floors …)

I wasn’t all that interested in having a dog when I met Ann. And, she warned me that Zollie hadn’t liked her last boyfriend. So, I think we were both surprised when Zollie and I bonded right away. Though he could be a little jealous when Ann and I kissed, he seemed very supportive of our relationship.

Zollie was a “pretty” dog, often mistaken for a female. The natural shape of his mouth always made it seemed like he was smiling whenever he opened it. He also had a very precise sense of time [by the end of his life, he seemed to know exactly when 6am (food and meds), 2pm (meds), 5pm (dinner), and 8pm (meds) was and he kept us on track by sitting in the kitchen and grunting when it was those times].

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Barry discovered that there was a variant of the “4-in-1 Jeep” campaign that used the term “4-Purpose Jeep”. It appears the term only appeared in newspaper ads (I have not extensively confirmed this). Here are some examples.

From the May 19, 1946, issue of the Beatrice Daily Sun Newspaper (Beatrice, Nebraska):

From the June 12, 1946, Issue of the South Alabamian (Jackson, Alabama):

From the May 12, 1948, issue of the Belleville News-Democrat (Belleville, Illinois):

From the May 03, 1951, issue of the Valentine Newspaper (Valentine, Nebraska):

Ann and I spent yesterday moving more stuff from Mom’s place to our place. We have one more load to go, so we will be back there around the 12th. Mom’s place goes up for sale on April 15th and, most likely, will sell within a week. Hopefully, the sale of the property marks the ending of a transformative three years that began with Dad’s passing in 2019. Even without a pandemic this would have been a strange time for us, but add that and other external happenings and it’s been a crazy few years!

Speaking of changes, we have a couple contractors coming this morning to bid on a couple projects, so no updates today. There will be updates Wednesday.

TJ shared this unusual-bodied jeep. It certainly could be an MB.

https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/item/3064870103786809

“Custom built body on Willys Jeep frame with Willys MB block with matching head. Check photos. No Title. Not running. Have tons of parts.Great and unique project. Lots of time and money. Shoot me an offer. Feel free to ask questions”

Updates continue to dribble out, so sorry about that.

We are still working steadily on the master bedroom. I am hoping to be finished with the trim by Saturday, but little things keep delaying us (ex: Ann got a flat tire two days ago, which caused me to use up half-a-day getting it changed and fixed). Once that is done, we can redo the TV/study room (which is currently our bedroom). I hope to get all of the phase one interior changes done by the end of Feb. Phase II will be the remodel of the master bathroom (this summer or fall?). Phase III will be a major remodel of the common rooms of the house, but that is probably a year+ away.

I am also busy documenting the various issues with my sister vis-a-vis mom’s estate in case my sister goes through with her recent threat to sue the estate. The crux of the issue is that my sister doesn’t believe the horses, which she inherits and which my parents bought and owned (and she rode, trained and cared for), have any value to the estate and that she should be gifted them free and clear of the estate distributions. Given my parents put six figures into the horses over two decades, and the fact they own them 100%, the horses do indeed have value to the estate and, thus, part of my sister’s inheritance should include some value placed on the horses. Since she knows this means she will get less cash from the estate, she believes this unfair and is very upset about it (even though the current plan is to give her the horses at half the market value to recognize her contribution to their value, but she refuses to have any conversation about this). Ugh!

We are still awaiting a date for Ann’s semi-emergency gallbladder surgery, but our local hospitals are very busy with COVID patients, so we aren’t sure when she can get in. At this pace, it will likely be an emergency procedure at some point!

Perhaps the best news of the year is that I have the shop heater running … oh boy, does it warm up the shop quickly!!!

Vernon asked about the heater. It is propane powered (we have a 1000 gallon tank). It is connected to a thermometer on the wall: :

Jim’s selling this M-38A1 body. Note that the first M-38A1 was produced in 1952.

https://pittsburgh.craigslist.org/pts/d/valencia-us-marine-corps-willys-kaiser/7425045178.html

“I have decided to buy a new Philippine made reproduction body for my U.S.M.C. Military Jeep Project.

So I am selling my Original U.S. made Willys M38A1 or Cj5 Military/ U.S.M.C Jeep body tub as used by the United States Military from 1955 until 1982.

These Jeeps bodies are getting very hard to come by and becoming very collectible, they go for a nice chunk of change when finished.

I am including the flooring patch panels and hat support that I bought intending to fix this tub floor.

Also included are both front fenders, the hood, a M38A1 grill and a M38A1 dashboard all steel parts.

I am also including a steel hardtop and doors made by KOENIG Co. Model 508 use by the military for colder weather aka ( ARTIC CAB ).

All parts for a 1955 – 1972 Military M38A1 or Cj5 body restoration.

Will sell parts separately.
Price is negotiable.
May have other part available.
Will post photos soon.”