This was one of them icy January days where the snow turns to straight-up slick, and you’re just trying to keep things moving. Me and Little Man headed down to Greensboro, North Carolina to pick up the Caterpillar parts I’d ordered for the old bulldozer—seals and gaskets for that water pump—because it’s a good time to be working on it, and I’m ready to get it back together. While we were there, we couldn’t help but walk around and look at the new skid steers and excavators. Everything sure is pretty when it’s got new paint on it, but Jacob reminded me real quick that dreaming gets expensive. Back at home, Jacob wanted to tackle a “little project,” which turned into mounting LED light pods on his four-wheeler rack so he can see better at night (and because they look cool). We got the wiring ran neat and tidy, but I pushed too hard popping the switch into a hole that was just a hair too small and—wouldn’t you know it—I broke the switch. We’ll grab another one and finish it right. On my end, I warmed up with percolated coffee and put supper on: my version of deer stew using home-canned deer meat, potatoes from the potato box (a few froze on the edge), tomato juice, carrot juice, and my homemade tomato soup as the thickener. It’s simple, hearty, and it’ll warm you clean through—plus it’s a good reminder to be thankful for the work, the jars to wash, and the family it feeds.