I came over to work on the siding. I left having torn out the whole outdoor kitchen behind my grandparents' garage.

It had been rotting for years. My grandma wanted it gone. My grandpa didn't. He came out, no hearing aids in, not in a good mood, told me to do whatever I wanted, and walked off. So I started anyway. The thing was pulp underneath; you could see why it had to go.

Then he came back out and said, "take it all down."

He's a complicated man. He's been in a lot of pain lately, and he hasn't been easy, on me, or on my grandma. But I keep showing up. This one's about that.

Life happens when you put the phone down.

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• (00:30) - Main
• (03:00) - 30 Second Outro

My plan was siding. My grandparents had a different plan.

A neighbor down the street lost her husband. She gave my grandparents his hammock. Their number one priority that Tuesday was getting it hung up.

My grandpa is 85. He didn't put it up for himself. He put it up for the great grandkids.

This episode is about what happens when someone else's priorities become yours — and what that teaches you about the life you're trying to build.

No Signal. Life happens when you put the phone down.

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• (03:00) - 30 Second Outro

I grew up thinking Starbucks was good coffee. For a long time it was all I knew.

Then I started roasting my own. Green beans from Sweet Maria's, a Whirlipopper on the stove, and a process that takes about 20 minutes from raw to ready. One cup a week. That's it.

This episode is about what happens when you slow down around one thing. I gave up coffee for Lent this year and my anxiety dropped noticeably. I'm still not sure if that was caffeine or the ritual I had built around it. Maybe both.

This isn't really about coffee. It's about intentionality, the same thing No Signal has always been about.|

Green bean sourcing: Genuine Origin (genuineorigin.com) and Sweet Maria's (sweetmarias.com)

Roaster: Whirlipopper stovetop popcorn popper

Grinder: Breville Smart Grinder Pro

Espresso machine: Breville Dual Boiler

Brew method: Pour over and espresso

We were in Hawaii for a week. Three families, my parents' generosity, real rest. While we were gone a chicken died, my grandpa got worse, and a ewe lambed that nobody expected. She was moved out of the ram pen on December 5th. If you do the timing she was bred December 3rd. The flock didn't wait for anyone's permission. I came home to a full week of work, a garden that needed attention, and a property I'm still learning how to run. Someone in Connecticut is buying wool from my grandparents' flock after hearing episode two. Ernie's wool finding someone who values it. This is No Signal, life happens when you put the phone down.

Before you can go anywhere, the animals still need feeding. This week I loaded 49 bags of feed, mowed my grandparents' lawn, moved the chickens, and made sure everything was set before three families headed to Hawaii. While I was unloading feed my grandpa told me he thinks a lot of what he's done has been pointless. I told him about the podcast. I told him about Ernie. I told him people in Japan are listening. I told him it will outlast him. Then I went to Hawaii. This is No Signal, life happens when you put the phone down.

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This morning I walked to my neighbor's property with my bow. Decoy out, tom fan, box call, gobble call. Just me under an oak tree waiting. The first two turkeys this season went to my boys. This one was mine. While I was sitting there I kept thinking about how I got here. Brad Gunter handed me my hunting license at 11 years old in Roseville. His son Nate officiated my wedding. My dad hunted ducks and pheasant half a mile from where I live now. My boys have already been in the blind. Some things are too specific to be random. This is No Signal, life happens when you put the phone down. If you enjoyed this episode, share it with someone and subscribe on Spotify or Apple Podcasts.

• (00:00) - 30 Second Intro
• (00:30) - Main
• (03:00) - 30 Second Outro
• (03:36) - Marker 01

This week I built a chicken tractor. 50 Freedom Rangers needed a real home and something had to get built. I walk through the design, what went wrong, what Joel Salatin taught me about moving animals across the land, and why I chose to build it myself instead of buying one. The chicks are in. The predators are out. And the future plan is bigger than one tractor. This is No Signal, life happens when you put the phone down.

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This week I walked across the field on shearing day. My grandma and I moved the sheep into their pens before the shearer arrived, wool has to stay dry. Standing in that barn got me thinking about Ernest Peter Brodersen. My great grandfather. Lifelong Petaluma resident, maintenance mechanic, 4-H leader for 30 years. He founded the California Columbia Sheep Breeders Association and served as President of the national association. He got into sheep because his daughters were in 4-H. That's it. That's how it started. The flock has been in our family since the 1950s. At its peak, 75 maybe 100 ewes. Now there are 16. My grandpa is 85. I live 20 acres away. I show up every Tuesday. This is No Signal, life happens when you put the phone down. Click here to view the episode transcript.

• (00:00) - 30 Second Intro
• (00:30) - Main
• (03:00) - 30 Second Outro