Wagon Box Roundup

Weekly miscellany from our frontier outpost and the folks around the country who come to the Box to share ideas, projects, stories, great times, and good meals.

Music

Flashback to the Singer Songwriter competition event at the Wagon Box. Story local Evan Larsell plays “Breach Big River.” We plan to host this event again late summer.

Worth Reading

Kelton Madden recommends spring as a great time to read (or re-read) Hemingway’s A Moveable Feast. Somehow it feels simultaneously familiar and relatable but also fantastical. The scrumptious details of Paris life are ladled onto mundane details of navigating obligations to work, family and friends, like béchamel on macaroni. Read a chapter aloud on a picnic beside a stream with friends.

On a more serious note (though the joy of food is a serious business), First Things published an essay outlining A Future for the Family that lays out some policy guidelines worth considering as we move into this new era. A few signers have been to the Wagon Box and we look forward to hosting a First Things event in 2025.

We also look to announce an IM1776 event soon. Meanwhile, read their latest interesting article about the changing landscape of the Arctic and how it may affect US geopolitics and our relationship to our northern neighbors.

Out and About:

Thoughts and prayers go out to Nathan Gates, who bartended briefly at the Wagon Box. His house in Illinois burned to the ground last week. If you feel like donating: https://www.givesendgo.com/gatesfamily

Practical Tip

From Kevin Radman:
I recently completed a floor refinish job for the customer wanted her oak floors stained espresso. After running your drum sander with the grain there are inevitably edges and ends where the old finish still shows through. I made the mistake of cleaning these up with an orbital sander. The dry floor looked perfect, the dampened floor looked perfect after a full wipe down with mineral spirits to pick up the dust and prepare the wood. The stain revealed the disaster: polished halos dotted across the center of the floor that were not able to receive as much stain as the surrounding areas. Next time I'll know to leave it well enough alone. It would have looked better and saved me 4 hours of sanding. The remedy was to stop staining and go over the rest of the floor with a heavy 80 grit paper and hand sand with the grain to remove the polishing effect of the palm sander.

Upcoming Events

Our Doomer Optimist Campout is this June 26-29. Join a rag-tag mix of interesting folks who will dive deep into the pressing questions of our time. Together, we’ll explore themes like the role of technology, the allure and perils of transhumanism, and the search for meaning in the shadow of the Machine. Through thought-provoking discussions, we’ll examine how the Machine shapes families, the environment, personal autonomy, and class politics while highlighting inspiring acts of creative resistance. Lodging is limited, but plenty of room to camp. It’ll be like Woodstock, but cozy, wholesome and based.

Hopefully you enjoyed this little Wagon Box weekly roundup. If you have been to the Wagon Box and plan to return some day, feel free to submit something to be published in our Substack or this weekly roundup. You can submit it or get ahold of us HERE.