Sunny Beaches

Be fore-warned, more than one rant ahead……….
Butt, 90% of the time I cut and paste cyber-net entries.
KL was where I started posting my routines and answered cattle question in ‘02. Seems I’m no longer welcomed there anymore. My even writing the head of the Gestapo I’ve received no answers nor explanations as to their treatment of the problems I pointed out nor me??? Soooo! KL!!!! PU!
Paraphrased, KL messages to me are something like you "tend to talk trash." That's about the gist of my trying to make entries or posting tractor pictures anywhere with in the YT realm.
HA! I haven't such troubles post my favorite journal or here.
Anyone have any idea of other sites where the information of tractors and implements are welcomed (blush) besides here. Sorry guys. I'm just interested in finding a wider base acceptable information.
~~~~~~~~~~~
I’m glad that rant is over!!!!
~~~~~~~~~~~
This morning, We are covered in rain, as like a lot of other folks all the way to the golf. Up it has rained up and clouded all over us and I suspect with it all our color will be washed out of the trees and laid on the ground.
I’ve noticed one interesting phenomena, all our weather stop at the Canadian border. Could it be we’re all living on the wrong side of a line?
~~~~~~~~~~~
What an ABC rap laid on Michigan’s blueberry plantations mistreating children letting them assist their parents harvesting fruit crops. ABC narrow mindedly is looking for some kind of a sensationalized story to broadcast without looking at the whole of the children fruit picking issue. Is ABC going to come to the aid of all these mistreated children locking them up in day care centers away from their parents and freshair’s freedom? I don’t think so.
Myself growing up and working in and around West Michigan’s blueberry country such children in the fields with their parents has been going on for decades. Now, it appears ABC is coming to the forefront with an unrealistic research child labor laws violation story.
These workers for the most part, the adults take their children with them to the fields. This self nurtured activity upon the parents part is their way of keeping tract their children. Holy mother to Mergatroid where was ABC when I needed saving 70 years ago. My parents dragged my arse into the blueberry fields, the grape vineyards, the truck gardens. Where was ABC saving me from an out of looking for troubled mischief workaholic? I ask, Where was ABC back then?
ABC had gone so far as to suggest fruit growers go to such lengths to spray dangerous chemicals endangering children. I suggest those chemicals are timely applied in such a manner they’ve lost their toxicity over just so many days. By time those crops are harvested that residue has either been rain washed of or its effective chemical life cycle has expired. And the while residue pictured up on the fruit in a child’s hand, that was the natural natures own yeast on that cherry. Try making a barrel of wine with out it, yeast has to come from somewhere.
ABC so interested in sensationalizing a bias news story didn’t even go into the rudimentary developments of blueberries. I have no idea how many varieties of blueberries are grown these days. I’ll bet essentially there are likely as many as a dozen different berry producing plants where upon the fruits matures at very different rates. Some blueberries harvesting starts even before July 1st and continues on long into September, maybe ever the 1st of October.
It burns me up such unscrupulous news hounds run around looking for stories they may exploit and sensationalize looking for higher ratings regardless who they hurt.
I know the Adkins and a great many of their neighbors.
I also know Chicano and Mexican help are the most sought after labors on larger farm enterprises around here. They never miss a day’s work, do what has to be done, don’t complain, and steady workers.
E-gads I’ve just completed another rant. I’m glad this one’s over, too!!!!
~~~~~~~~~~~
Night before last, just around the corner, a neighbor lady in the shower had turpentine thrown on her by her boy friend he had tried to light. Fortunately she wasn’t hurt being in the shower covered with water, the water saving her from any burns injury. He’s lodged in the county jail for assault. In my mind he aught to be charged with attempted murder, tried, and locked up for life.
~~~~~~~~~~~
What an absolutely drippy day. Even doing my best to avoid becoming wet, it were so warm today I came home soaked from the inside out. At that it was only a two light shirt day. It has been so warm we’ve gone without a wood fire in our home the last three days. The barnyard creek so full of water the barn’s water front property again. I haven’t been out there, but I’m imagining the Duck Lake’s over flow creek is running causing the ladies to come up for less fresh water.
Under the cover of the shop roof we devoted our time to replacing all the wood inside the old old-head-gated squeeze chute. Short a paint job the chute almost looks like new. AN early start tomorrow we’ll set it in time for running all the weaned spring calves through it processing them inoculating, worming, pick and choosing which ones stay, which ones go and where they’ll go: steers for filling private orders for feeder cattle, club calves, and shipping cull heifers to the livestock exchange for somebody else to feed.
~~~~~~~~~~
Something extra I’ve come up with for carrying chain lubricants on the tractor or equipment. I’ve taken to putting baler chain lubricant into emptied dish soap bottles. I like these bottles lids keeping rain water and dirt out. The caps on the lids also serves as a good closure should the bottle tip over keeping the bottle capped. My next trick will involve containers built into the machines to hold this lubricant always machine handy.


The last 1850 in our stable of tractors stands waiting for a new “U” bolt and nuts to hold the reversed hub to the axel before installing new wheel, new 38 rim, and like new 38“ tire and tube. This couldn’t have been better had it been planned. This 1850 waiting parts sort-a gives me a very physically labored day off. Well so much for another easy day tomorrow. Going to be working calves through the chute.

Now for the witching eve’s night for more rest the evening the day I finished upright. BGKC.
Fernan

coffee rules

So, you like your coffee. I found this while researching another topic. Finding this first I liked the art work and secondly the article has a bit of (no right answer) quiz involved along with it. So, if you like your blankety blank coffee try filling the missing blanks and lets see what we get? Enjoy…..

RULE NO. 1 is about making coffee. To get all its rich and satisfying flavor, use a heaping tablespoonful for every cup.
RULE NO. 2 is about drinking coffee. The buoyant lift it gives you is too good to [blank1] by drinking it only once a day. It [blank2] concentration. It helps you think more quickly and clearly. It actually [blank3] you when you're [blank4]ed. These are [blank5] you want at midday and in the evening. And if you're like 97 people out of 100, you don't [blank6] to worry about sleeping, for the lift lasts only about two hours.
~~~~~~~~~~~~
Had a most interesting day. As I had mentioned I something to do with the last 1850 Ollie. So first thing this morning I managed to find what was wrong with the fueling system. So simple. The very first primary fuel line was plugged with a bug. Jeepers creepers a bug had plugged the fuel line. Yes, I said it twice! How a bug get into the fuel line?
A power cord run out and the HD battery charger employed we finally got the mechanical beast running. Running it stumbled a couple times on air bubbles in the fuel system without shutting down. That poor old tractor having not run in such a long time we left it run while we prepared a place to park it neared the shop for the TLC it has so desperately needed for the last three/four years. Amidst this activity between Tom and I hustling to bring the move about in a reasonable amount of time, a line of air hoses were run out to the tractor. The tractor tilted for a year now, we’d thought we had maybe only one shot at airing that tire and then moving the tractor before we lost that tire if we hadn’t already lost it.
The fuss has been all about a couple leaking rear tire inner tubes leaking calcium chloride, thus the rims were/are shot. It’s been since the middle the last winter we’ve been waiting for new rear wheels, rims and rim mounting blocks(?). During this summer last a pair of extremely good looking 38” tires and inner tubes were purchased. Also involved is moving the rear wheels out which is beginning to look rather easy as compared to the problems I expect widening the front axel. We get this mechanical critter properly standing on four sound rims and tires I expect the rock shaft cover will have to come off for an internal inspection of the lever operating linkage for the three point lift. I could bet on the linkage the problem the failure the three point lift. Other concerns are minor.
Moving the tractor had me worried for a couple moments when I found the clutch frozen and stuck. It was a very interesting moment upon my part idling the engine down as close to a stall as I dared and my going for a 1st low direct/low hydraulic gear. Imagine my delight when The gears messed and working the clutch pedal up and down the tractor was moving and the clutch was seemingly disengaging and engaging as I took the machine for a short drive about the farm-yard. The steering was stuck. A little whipping the steering wheel back and forth the wheels became easier to steer.
What fluid remain in the tire My dragging all the equipment out, Ray spear headed the removal of the last remaining 10/12 gallons salty water. The hub was loosened before the close of our working day.
Successes becoming the order of the day with Ray on the hammer, my standing with my balancing act one foot the rim and the other upon the tire as need be, I got a new tire mounted on that welded together replacement wagon wheel. Whoray! The day had shaped up nicely. Replacing Mr. Roger’s wheel off the hay wagon for the new mounted tire on welded wheel I experienced one tense wheel for a moment or two. While I was jacking up the wagon axel spinning the wheel because I was along side it I thought I were hearing a brand new air leak coming some where from the old tires tread. What the… I turned the wheel purposely the air leek blasting never graced my hand. Looking up I saw the cause of the air leak’s sound. I catalpa tree leaf had fallen between the hay wagons planks making that momentary heart wrenching sound of a tire going flat. Releieved Mr. Roger’s gets his tractor tire back first thing in the morning. Whoray!


Pumping fluid out of bad tire on a junk rim, of the last Foxfire Oliver needing TLC.


The other side of the same 1850 Oliver.



The new 38” wheels , rims, and hardware replacements for the 34: rims presently on the last 1850 Oliver.


BGKC
Fernan

yesterday and today

Two to long days in a whole row. I can’t seem to finish everything. We, almost anything. After making the replacement scale cable yesterday I called it quits so late I was in mo mood to fight with its installation. The scale reassembly was top drawer for me this morning taking all my morning and a bushel basket full of tools to do it. All back together and trying it out it was reading nice and close, closer than it had for a very long time.
Seeing Tom he had me grind him his hog feed corn.
Then for something new I was invited to start the last 1850 Ollie acquisition. Fooled with that stubborn engine for at least a couple hours, even replacing the fuel filters, all to no avail. We’ve got it down to either a plugged primary fuel line or the lift fuel pump has given out. Guess I’ll be playing with it some more tomorrow.
Two wagon wheels ready to go I’m ashamed to write I haven’t mounted a tire on either one of the rims in two days. Got to do this soon. My neighborhood’s Mr. Roger’s will be needing his front tractor tire any day now. I replace its occupied place on the hay wagon’s hub I can take Mr. Roger’s wheel and tire back to him his tractor.
~~~~~~~~~~
The issues involved in the tree trimming trimmings along side the hay field have been resolved. One of the perpetrators came by today owning up to the unfinished tree trimming doings. The mess will be cleaned up in the next few days.
Fernan

10-25-o9 Things are tough all over….Pat 4 of 4

Take all these guy’s holding down Frieda’s modified frying pan for instance. Both of then getting the clap. Every step I they took turns going “ker clap!” :ker Clap!” Pizzed off, I want to see’em make tracks out of the land file. And, the pan? To many skilletings it’s more liking a wok with a handle on it than the cast iron it had started out to be.


Then there were these very fat impressionable tracks pressed in the sand in front of the shop. Hmm, who’s were they? I celled Ray, to hear if he knew anything about them. Nope! He knew nothing, but he did tell me he’d be home shortly. Instead of worrying about nothing I was sure of one way or another I set about fixing fences. By and By he finally showed. He found out who they were. Oddly enough they were the Spring yearling heifers. Working on fence I passed them without even seeing them grazing between the bales stored in his hay-yard. The young’ones found, I also found they had been out out and had come back home where they belonged. All the fences fixed and the naughty girls contained we all finally got around to accomplishing somethings in the shop.Ray and Tom worked on rebuilding again another savagely terrorized hay ring to be put out again to await the riggers of all the pushing and shoving it’ll endure ubtil it is crushed again.


While checking fences I come across this mess. SOB! Some friendly had put up and instant tree stand, trimmed some branches off the trees to improve his field of shooting view. I’m going to question him about this. I don’t think I should be expected to clean up after the farm’s granted hospitality. The trimings are partially laying in the hay field. I’m burning……..


Seeing this on my way home I found free enterprise is alive and well. Neighbors up and down both sides this road have been raising to much produce in their gardens and putting their garden vegetables out to the roads side for free choice passers-by! The stuff: squash, tomatoes, beans, cucumbers, my passing on the era corn; I’d brought home that was fresh yummy.
The tractor, an older model Oliver that runs like a top under original paint.

It’s been good being alive, but checking the troops (setting the limits) as to how much may physically do anymore is becoming more difficult every day. I wonder how many times I must repeat myself before they get the message? BGKC.

Fernan

10-25-o9 More Fall colors along my road…..Part 3 of 4

Some color around the new two yr old alfalfa hay field….


Some more that awful color along side the same hay field….


This is some the color around the field just next west the hay field….


Oh yeah, There’s still some green out there…


Fernan

10-25-o9 Fall colors down my road…Part 2 0f 4

Turned right out of my driveway headed for the hollow….


About a mile down the road approaching Loopy Acres….


Almost two mile down road approaching Butternut Creek and creek bottom. The road rises near some two hundred feet in a quarter mile. That’s one Hell of a peddling my arse off climb on a bicycle for me.


All the leafless trees in this creek bottom picture never had this summer’s leaves. They’re dead ash trees that emerald beetle wiped out passing through here three years ago, I think it was.


Fernan

10-25-o9 Fall colors About home….(Part 1 of 4)

10-25-o9 Fall colors About home….(Part 1 of 4)
Lookin’ west from farm yard….

Lookin’ north from farmyard….

Lookin’ northeast from farmyard….

The sun coming through the maple in the front yard….

Fernan

Again

Yup, I’m back again with a second entry per same day. Oh, what a drippy day it was too. Even drippier than yesterday. What’d I do today? Darn good question. Let me se if I can rebuild it. Looking out my windows and door seeing all the wet I kind-a like hunkered in for a couple hours. I was in no hurry to get all wet. But then my conscience started bothering me I put myself together and forced myself out of the house. Turned right out of the driveway I managed to motor a whole mile and a quarter down the road until I had gotten one them got to see an old buddy complexes. With my lower back physical therapy skills I stopped by to see my ol’ buddy Scooby Doo. He doo likes my scratching his back nearer the tail end of his quadruped spine. The coffee served was just what hit the spot. Why, I even sort of thrilled Miss Loopy with one of my assorted stories again. Only I fooled her this time. It were a second hand tale I told. J
Leaving Scooby before I got thrown out, I came back home fore lunch figuring I’d make another new start out the door after I had filled my belly again. The second right turn out the drive I made it all the way to the shop. Most my time I spent making imaginative parts, gathering tools and ready made miscellaneous fence supplies my preparing myself for hot wiring that gate between two yards. Right about the time I was ready to bail out the shop and come home, Ray finally showed up. Yup, ready to go to work? I’m weather beatened tired under a low barometric pressures and he’s acting as fresh as a daisy. Didn’t cut any ice with me. I hung around for another hour our tinkering upon a hay bale feeder ring he had single handedly destroyed with help of the skid-steer he was driving at the time. Hmm, it had to have been the machine’s destructive fault. Further I’ll admit to no involvement his folding up that semi crushed feeder. At a loss for additional words I’m calling it quits for tonite. BGKC.
Fernan

catchup pics - no gab

Our neighborhood colors a couple days ago.

Taking a bale off trailer. (last haying for the season.)

Loading bale into wrapper.

Bales coming thru the wrapper.

My refilling handier qt bottles out of the bigger 5gal can.

Spare wheels, bother of them components welded together. The top rim’s been cleaned and has a like new tire on it for a spare tire.

I’ll give with some senseless gab later today.
Fernan

Falls colors

Our colors continuing a slow color change. I can't remember a longer lasting beautifully colorful autumn. May the trees shed their summer foliage in their own sweet time without weather's often combining heavy fall rains and pressing winds to what the trees already normally do.
I remember Halloween’s wading through mountains of colorful dry leaves. This may not be so this year. Along with such behaviors came local radio announcements and cautions telling kids not to play in the leaves raked to the town and village curbs. Stressed even more strongly were motorists to not drive their vehicles through piled leaves in the streets. That was “Once Upon a Time” over WJOR radio, my home town. Hoe do I remember this?
I was once a Radio celebrity during those days I Charter fished Lake Michigan. During those days I prerecorded Lake Michigan fishing updates three times a week. Consequently I was often asked to join the radio breakfast club when I hadn’t a early morning scheduled chartered fishing trip. I sometimes reminded the listening audience with these as well as other cautionary announcements like: Spring’s suggestion “School’s out watch for children everywhere playing anywhere.” or Fall’s cautionary change, “Often driving to work in the dark, watch out for children waiting at their school buss stops.”
Gosh! Have I forgotten how much fun I had during my fishing days.
~~~~~~~~~~~~
If I can have Tom’s help for a little while, I need to move the scales, and all the paraphernalia what went with them. Capable handling the rest myself, I next want to hot wire that rebuilt gate we’d hung just the other day.
Written before I had stepped out of my happy home.
~~~~~~~~~~~~
~~~~~~~~~~~~
Written after entering my happy home. :^)
Oh Lawd, stepping out of the house the trees colors had dramatically changed over night. Such color, though muted, seeing them through the rain. Trying to picture them today would have been a waste of time. Give me a little sunshine before the colors are blown away. I’ll show ya’s and including a couple pics for my journal. Please don’t let the winds come up and blow them away as they were about noon today.
Yup, we got the scale moved. Then alone I cleaned the wheels and mounted a tire on the spare rim. Have a line on a floatation tire and rim to check out. Sure’d like to find a salvageable unit. I hates fixing tires when I have to, in other words under pressure!
Getting dark an hour early again. Coming in I feel headachy, the house slightly chilled, likely do to the high humidity. The rattlers take I write this waiting out my hour. I had my doubts for awhile most the afternoon. Seems this ‘puter was invaded by a worm. Determined and using a couple aliases I managed to work my way through this cussed machine and side handedly restored my operating systems gradually back to the last day of my original setup. Whew! What a relief. BGKC
Fernan

Rain day…

...rain means I gets a day off right after I've unloaded a hay wagon, mounted a new tire or two on each of two already put together wheel kits replacing the one I had destroyed, hook up woodhauler behind Ugly, the wood splitter behind wood hauler, and make the wood cuttings circuit splitting and picking up remaining piles of firewood, cleaning up the landscape. Need to simply replace one lectric gate handle, wipe off and grease the rams on the varied machinery built-in hydraulic cylinders left outside. and cover the mowing machines from the winter snows, and finish winterizing the bale wrapper. Then whatever time left over is mine. Still need to electrify the gate we hung the other day to keep the innocent of-course cattle from pushing on it.
So if I happen to be caught with a beer in hand, I’ll either be work finished, finished work celebrating, or thimking preponderances.
~~~~~~~~~~~~
My take and tastes on varied chilies’ include concoctions all the way from a pepper heavily seasoned borsht all the way to a mater and/or bean laddened noodle-less goulash. Have never eaten one I didn’t like. There’s got to be as many different recipes as imaginative cooks around the globe. Yumm!
Ahem, never seen chili assembled at the table out of family styled table setting. To each his own I’d have to positively guess. Personally I like any chili slow cooked and eating-better second day’s leftover’s eating.
~~~~~~~~~~~~
Kinda drippy don't you know. Ray didn't get the part. So, I had to. Handy wanted ride to store so he went with me. Seems I spent most of morning looking for nozzle part. I was ever glad Handy was with me keeping me on the ball my having to eventually drive in to the near inside part of Flint city. Darn traffic was horrendous.
On way back from the city finally got Handy to his store. Going in with him got Herr Mostess some treats she's been asking for. While I was in the store I noticed some children out of school. Why there mothers dragged them along to the supermarket mystifies me. Kids coughing and hacking. I don’t know? One thing’s sure we’ve at least four local schools closed for four day decontaminations this area’s swine flue spread among children. Now what bothers me, might/may I pick up one of these indiscriminate germs hacked all over some store merchandize and I unknowingly carry it home to the wife and myself‘s enjoyment? What is this carelessness or thoughtlessness or both?
Back to the treats I’m damned if I know why I should, as thin and bent-up her skillet's getting. What started out cast iron is looking more like my hat sized dropped forged. AND, all the gruff she's been giving me lately over her wardrobe wants. She’s been insisting I’ve been lax purchasing her a “T” shirt at the supermarket. For crying out-loud, why would I look for clothing in a grocery store? And if a grocery store had carried such an item doesn’t mean every grocery store is going to have them. Sheesh, I took her all afternoon to figure all this out under her gray haired covered brain. Hmm, I’ve never known her to have so much as a single blond hair on her head.
Ho boy, lunch hadn't even settled and guess who'd she had already gotten around to hitting the cider. Shameful I’ll write it here. Sheesh, thankfully I haven't had one of these day's in a long time. Although, it looks like this day wont be skipped either.
~~~~~~~~~~~
The furnace in the hollow finally fixed, the weather still drippy midday I went on to the shop. There was plenty to do there. I took a tire off the welded wheel for one thing. The wheel needed a thorough rust removal cleaning which I skipped for today. Plus had found the rim needed more fixing, the valve stem hole welded shut, and a new hole drilled in another place in the rim. Feeling lazy I choose next to fill oil bottles, a sit down job.
Hanged if the heifers hadn’t some how knocked a brace off a partial gate up in the barn. Tried finding it with a manure fork. The manure packed dry tight I opted to make a new brace. Will have to clean this area the barn with the forked manure bucket on the 1618 case skid steer. Hmm, haven’t used that loader bucket in some time. I wonder if it’ll remember how to move all that messy crap while I watch for the old brace. Don’t want it damaging the manure spreader.
Not much of a day off. While I had managed to scratch one job off my list I spotted I added two more to the same list. I can’t say I’m making any headway. BGKC.
Fernan

Day’s to short

No the matter what I do to buy myself time I’m still running further and further behind. I got Tom out to help as well as Handy. That was before I had even found out the bulls had been up to no good. So they keep Handy and I busy for the first part of the morning. It was the second part of the morning Handy and I hung that waiting gate. It was 2:00PM before I got away from shop related jobs, leaving undone more what’ll need catching up on in the morning if not it’ll take a couple more days. When I went home Handy went home also. Far as I know Tom stuck around the shop giving Ray a hand. Tom’s a prince.
2:20PM lunch over, I was greasing that old AC#7 hayrack. I don’t know how many zerk fittings it has in it, but I know it’s got a lot of them. Before I was done greasing it I might have used a pound of grease. Now, that’s a lot of sliding. 2:35PM I was pulling out of my yard, a couple minutes later I was pulling into the hay field. Driving the old Allis Chalmers WD45 it was about 4:30PM before my ass got numb fitting that old steel tractor seat. 5:00PM on the dot the dew started to set. I can tell ya it was real sudden like, one moment the tractor’s tires were rolling dry, the next moment they was coming up wet. Made no difference though, I just kept on racking my hay. Somewhere within the last half hour my racking that hay I moved my butt. Then it hurt like Hell my trying to reseat it in an area it’d no longer fit, all that blood running down there swelling my bottom beyond anymore fitting that by that time a two face seat fitting my ass one moment, no room to let it sit fit it again this day. By this then I was not only made uncomfortable trying to sit, when the dew took to set I felt a chi…chi…chill. It was about that time I was wishing I hadn’t worn my well broken in barnyard tuxedo so drafty it could be called holey.
By this damp hour late into the afternoon leaning on evening a few more rounds if I wasn’t racking the hay for drying, I was racking it putting two windrows together for baling tomorrow. Tomorrow it gets baled ready regardless the moisture content. Rain expected it’s hays got to be less then 50% and hopefully about 35% . As anxious I am to finish up the haying I just noses the hay’s just right for baling and white plastic gift wrapping. What could go wrong?
Son of a gun! If I were to list what I didn’t get done today, it’d rival the list to do things I just wrote out day before last. Darn, I’ve been in for an hour long enough for a supper and to much comfortable warmth making me sleepy and droopy eyed. Shorthorn country has got to do without me rat now. BGKC.
Fernan

Annoyed?

Ray had asked me, “Aren’t you the least bit annoyed by your Herr Mostess’s indiscretions?”
“Sure I am.” I admitted.
Unable to leave it alone he went on and on, “You got that guy down the road always stopping in to see her. Then there’s the guy across the road always coming over. And, how about that self styled delivery man stopping by you house every day. And you ain’t doing nothing.”
“I will someday” I assured him.
“Then what are you waiting for?” He asked.
“Well!” I told him, “A much older guy!”
~~~~~~~~~~~
Out early I checked on last night’s deer kill in the neighborhood. Parking Ugly shy a clear view from the lucky household, sneaking around to survey the kill for either a quarter or backstrap offering my goofy buddy Scooby Doo the friend that I had thought he was, had given me away. Curses, foiled by the Loopy Doo dog. I just might ask him for all my back scratches back?
From there I moseyed over to the Miller Yoder spread to check on Tom and see if he could be of any help to me today. Seeing they were busy fixing between swine pens and installing positive locking hardware on the stable’s roll-a-way doors. Oh well most of what I had to do today I in the end handled it by myself this time.
Without explanations I took care all what the crew hadn’t gotten done yesterday in my absence; and, by myself at that. Both mowing machines are cleaned and parked waiting for coverings. The Schultz Ollie is freed to serve in another capacity if needed. I lucked out finishing my morning work by 1:00PM. Ate lunch and myself ready to go, I had to backtrack for the interruption what had my mind forget fuel for baling. Once a-field some of the hay was near to dry but still to wet for dry keeping Regardless the trouble, yesterday’s raking was not for naught. I had that hay field bailed within three hours’ hustle. Then brought to the field the JD loader tractor. Ray finally showing up and I had (we had) all the hay hauled in and wrapped save for the closing bale I need to transport tomorrow to close and seal the last haylage cell. It was sundown and some when I walked in tonight. My wad shot, It’s been all I could handle from behind heavy eyes to write this much. BGKC from Shorthorn country.
Now if I can just grab a few hours to finish bringing in the firewood before that stuff becomes a field traveling hazard this winter.
Fernan

Day’s to short

No the matter what I do to buy myself time I’m still running further and further behind. I got Tom out to help as well as Handy. That was before I had even found out the bulls had been up to no good. So they keep Handy and I busy for the first part of the morning. It was the second part of the morning Handy and I hung that waiting gate. It was 2:00PM before I got away from shop related jobs, leaving undone more what’ll need catching up on in the morning if not it’ll take a couple more days. When I went home Handy went home also. Far as I know Tom stuck around the shop giving Ray a hand. Tom’s a prince.
2:20PM lunch over, I was greasing that old AC#7 hayrack. I don’t know how many zerk fittings it has in it, but I know it’s got a lot of them. Before I was done greasing it I might have used a pound of grease. Now, that’s a lot of sliding. 2:35PM I was pulling out of my yard, a couple minutes later I was pulling into the hay field. Driving the old Allis Chalmers WD45 it was about 4:30PM before my ass got numb fitting that old steel tractor seat. 5:00PM on the dot the dew started to set. I can tell ya it was real sudden like, one moment the tractor’s tires were rolling dry, the next moment they was coming up wet. Made no difference though, I just kept on racking my hay. Somewhere within the last half hour my racking that hay I moved my butt. Then it hurt like Hell my trying to reseat it in an area it’d no longer fit, all that blood running down there swelling my bottom beyond anymore fitting that by that time a two face seat fitting my ass one moment, no room to let it sit fit it again this day. By this then I was not only made uncomfortable trying to sit, when the dew took to set I felt a chi…chi…chill. It was about that time I was wishing I hadn’t worn my well broken in barnyard tuxedo so drafty it could be called holey.
By this damp hour late into the afternoon leaning on evening a few more rounds if I wasn’t racking the hay for drying, I was racking it putting two windrows together for baling tomorrow. Tomorrow it gets baled ready regardless the moisture content. Rain expected it’s hays got to be less then 50% and hopefully about 35% . As anxious I am to finish up the haying I just noses the hay’s just right for baling and white plastic gift wrapping. What could go wrong?
Son of a gun! If I were to list what I didn’t get done today, it’d rival the list to do things I just wrote out day before last. Darn, I’ve been in for an hour long enough for a supper and to much comfortable warmth making me sleepy and droopy eyed. Shorthorn country has got to do without me rat now. BGKC.
Fernan

Get well…

….Betty. You’re missed in Shorthorn country.. Is there Anything I may send to make your convalescing easier: snowshoes, cross country skis, a toboggan or sled, how about an inspirational image my last nurse. So Bee getting well soon.
Signed Fernan and Frieda.
~~~~~~~~~~~~
Been a bummer day. Didn’t get much of anything done. Seems I spent all day looking for something. Worked on tenant house furnace, still isn’t working. Needs one more part I either find where I had parked spares tomorrow or purchase another one Monday.
I set up to transfer motor oil into one quart cans. Found I had put unfamiliar fluid in a can what wasn’t motor oil my failing to mark the tub. Not knowing what the stuff is may use it for water proofing trailer and wagon decks. Did eventually find a new unopened tub of motor oil. (relieved)
~~~~~~~~~~~~
This is some of our color I enjoyed while riding fences a couple days ago.

~~~~~~~~~~~~
Gosh, I’ve just got to cover some misery going on’s. For openers I found it milk curdling in the least and then it had gotten creamed. I found Russia had been mentioned a couple times. And thinking about that Russia ain’t something all that big to worry about. Trying to face Russia’s a long ways off excepting for the former governor of Alaska.
Snoops and Facebook were mentioned. I’ve given up on those two places again. I can’t figure them out?
Oh my seems there’s gardener well supplied with two wagon loads of un-giveaway able squashes. The dog was found to have loose stools. The mister had to tighten up when the dog got priority care first. I wonder if that sort of second fiddling parallels guitar strumming. Butt alas mister gets rescheduled. For all the monies spent on the girl I’m surprised the bitch weren’t signed up with blue cross. Nobody need know this female’s Doctor is a hounding specialist.
BGKC.
Fernan

chi-chi-chi-chi-chilly

Just what I need, some weather guessers talking some frapping snow delivery. That'd put the frosting on the just single handily destroyed Bambi Hilton down in the hollow yesterday. I started my last haying of the season. If its all the same let mother nature send it all down to Dixie. They’ve been to long deservent the stuff they alone let us take for granted. Them Dixie red necks don’t believe in global warming anyway. They’ve all got just the hot air to take care of it, watering it down. }:^))
~~~~~~~~~~~~
I so soundly slept last night I missed putting another log on the fire at the most critical midnight hour. Gladly woke up to see another day to one cooled off house. Any cooler I’d been sheepishly putting on some inside out wooly animal hides, whether they be alive or otherwise.
As achy as I feel in this downing weather I ain’t at all happy all I’ve still got to do before winter sets in. An honest Indian summer would be welcomingly handy right now!
~~~~~~~~~~~~
After spending a good morning here checking making little fixes the fences and haying the ladies without being mobbed I had a good morning here. Afternoon found me in front of shop finishing up a gate repair. Ray had gotten for me a couple planks for the two top damaged boards. The gate a foot short for the installation on a newly replaced gate post. What to do? I removed to remove the bottom board. New boards used top and bottom I used the good parts of the two broken to splice the three one foot short intermediates. The gate may not look brand new, but it’s tough ready to go a few more years service. The bull pen electrified gates working out well, for them, I believe I’m going to give this gate the same treatment. I guess I might also better take pictures of the finished treatments for posterity and how to if needed by someone else elsewhere.
~~~~~~~~~~~~
Getting in at the on time hour for my rattlers, might have bought me a bit of true relaxing time at the key board buying me some well earned time to enjoy a tasty brew. That Seagram’s peach flavored fuzzy navel is taste bud and nerve settling delight. The balance of flavor between the fruit and hops makes for a truly tasty treat….Hic….
~~~~~~~~~~~~
Making a cyber visit I found turtles having trouble swimming against the wind. Sunflowers are mowen for grass to grow in Tx.. They have frost in Tx.? I discovered I’m not the only poor soul to cheap to buy the cards and pay the postage to mail out seasonal greetings. Wow! Do I ever feel better! ceramic cats don’t eat much nor make messes. “Niacin …… to boost …….. good cholesterol.” Now I didn’t know that one???
A quote, “Friday it was to my primary doctor for a female test, today it was San Antonio for a bone density test, tomorrow its to the hospital for a mammogram, and Wednesday its to Bandera to the blood doctor. Wouldn't you think they could figure out a way for a person to just take a whole day and have everything done at once and at the same place? I used to hear senior citizens say if it wasn't for all the doctor visits we wouldn't have any place to go.” }:^D I liked this one! LMAO
Saw likenesses of Meany and Emily cows. Meany I read has attitude.
BGKC.
Fernan

chi-chi-chi-chi-chilly

Just what I need, some weather guessers talking some frapping snow delivery. That'd put the frosting on the just single handily destroyed Bambi Hilton down in the hollow yesterday. I started my last haying of the season. If its all the same let mother nature send it all down to Dixie. They’ve been to long deservent the stuff they alone let us take for granted. Them Dixie red necks don’t believe in global warming anyway. They’ve all got just the hot air to take care of it, watering it down. }:^))
~~~~~~~~~~~~
I so soundly slept last night I missed putting another log on the fire at the most critical midnight hour. Gladly woke up to see another day to one cooled off house. Any cooler I’d been sheepishly putting on some inside out wooly animal hides, whether they be alive or otherwise.
As achy as I feel in this downing weather I ain’t at all happy all I’ve still got to do before winter sets in. An honest Indian summer would be welcomingly handy right now!
~~~~~~~~~~~~
After spending a good morning here checking making little fixes the fences and haying the ladies without being mobbed I had a good morning here. Afternoon found me in front of shop finishing up a gate repair. Ray had gotten for me a couple planks for the two top damaged boards. The gate a foot short for the installation on a newly replaced gate post. What to do? I removed to remove the bottom board. New boards used top and bottom I used the good parts of the two broken to splice the three one foot short intermediates. The gate may not look brand new, but it’s tough ready to go a few more years service. The bull pen electrified gates working out well, for them, I believe I’m going to give this gate the same treatment. I guess I might also better take pictures of the finished treatments for posterity and how to if needed by someone else elsewhere.
~~~~~~~~~~~~
Getting in at the on time hour for my rattlers, might have bought me a bit of true relaxing time at the key board buying me some well earned time to enjoy a tasty brew. That Seagram’s peach flavored fuzzy navel is taste bud and nerve settling delight. The balance of flavor between the fruit and hops makes for a truly tasty treat….Hic….
~~~~~~~~~~~~
Making a cyber visit I found turtles having trouble swimming against the wind. Sunflowers are mowen for grass to grow in Tx.. They have frost in Tx.? I discovered I’m not the only poor soul to cheap to buy the cards and pay the postage to mail out seasonal greetings. Wow! Do I ever feel better! ceramic cats don’t eat much nor make messes. “Niacin …… to boost …….. good cholesterol.” Now I didn’t know that one???
A quote, “Friday it was to my primary doctor for a female test, today it was San Antonio for a bone density test, tomorrow its to the hospital for a mammogram, and Wednesday its to Bandera to the blood doctor. Wouldn't you think they could figure out a way for a person to just take a whole day and have everything done at once and at the same place? I used to hear senior citizens say if it wasn't for all the doctor visits we wouldn't have any place to go.” }:^D I liked this one! LMAO
Saw a likenesses of Meany and Emily cows. Meany I read has attitude.
BGKC.
Fernan

What to do?

Son of a gun, it’s the middle of October and already have three buckets of ashes to dump on a lime needy field somewhere. The heating season has got to be here. Are we going to have Indian summer? I don’t even remember a despicable couple/three days nasty uncomfortable freezing weather? We don’t, my full enjoyment of the fall and autumn seasons will leave me feeing cheated all the way up and listening for the guy the night he flies around the world making quick pit stops just so his charges may crap on those of us naughty and undeserving, dirty old men! OMG. I need to write another story. A fun imaginative unreal piece.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Now that the dribble’s written, what am I going to do today? Critical hay making was seriously interrupted yesterday. Getting nowhere with disc repair I thinks it needs be returned to shop where Ray may supervise repairs while I may retake to field haying.
Hmm are these last few lines just another place to be looked into besides in a good nights sleep. Don’t know what it is about sleepen solutions to repairs come to mind at these times? Only, in my case I got this extra place right here in my self styled urinal (oops….err….journal) to make written observations!
I’ve figured the disk out. The disks may have cut groves in that one gang’s axel The discs getting caught upon those same groves, those groves have got to be welded full before all the discs may slid the axel’s length to tighten. Yup, that whole disk has got to go to shop.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Enjoying lunch I’d set a couple lines down. Bt the time I got to the disc Tom already had it all apart. So, we loaded up the parts what needed welding and refitting. At the shop Ray showed up. My not needed I left Tom and Ray to making fixes and cut out for the compulsory haying. Did a good job of half the hay field cut before I were called back in to help reassemble the disk. Turned out a productive morning. Disk fixed and hay mowned. Lunch put away it was time to see what I’d make of the afternoon.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I have managed to have mowed the whole hay field and parked the machinery in front of the shop for cleaning before putting it under cover. This evening walking into the heat of the house by the woodstove’s influence with the strangest urge to go into a hibernation’s mode. Leftovers for supper were better than the same dish made last night.
Watched the evening news and be darnedifiknow what was said. Oh yeah, some Colorado kid was reported seen climbing into a balloon’s basket to be found after a balloon chase, the youngster found in an attic box. Having had seven children of our own, I had been there, lived something like that.

The drab autumn scenery I was blessed to see while I cut hay he last two days.



BGKC.
Fernan

With the gnashing of gums

With one good day near ruined seriously effects the next two to just rest up to the level of juice overly expended foolishly. Sheesh, I still haven’t collected all my cut up fire wood laying about since having cut up that last fallen tree what was resting on the fence. Now, today I’ve got to take to making more hay over the next few days.
Just prior to this round of have to do things I’ve noticed some shingles missing on the tenant house. Oh boy, I’m not particularly comfortable in the air anymore. I’m not as quick as I used to be, my balance may be a shade off. And I’ve no idea how I’ll go about making those repairs. Perhaps another body on the other side of the house bigger than I handling a life line for me.
~~~~~~~~~~~
` Latest word on my middle kid (son), is good news. He’s getting psychiatric help. He’s become more coherent having something to do with his electrolyte imbalance straightened out, and he’s responding to physical therapy. Halleluiah! May thee all be blessed who’ve had him in their thoughts one way or another.
~~~~~~~~~~~
I did manage to get into a hay field for a four round spell before called away an implement disc problem. Seems one of the gangs had loosened up. I’m looking for temporary fix to finish this fall’s field dressings. Then a complete rebuild this winter or early next spring for working next years plowed fields.
~~~~~~~~~~~
Almost sorry I came in from the cool (refusing to acknowledge its cold) outside. My face hadn’t had the varied pains I suspect the heated house had unreasonably induced, plus I’ve this inherent desire to fall asleep. Balderdash! I want my supper first when I’ve been such a good boy having waited out the post time period after taken the rattlers.
~~~~~~~~~~~
Got time/some pictures.
Here’s one of them disgusting party leftovers fallen to earth in my pasture. Okay most of it is bio-gradable paper ribbons and cotton string. I‘m really objecting to the carelessly/thoughtlessly used plastic, latex, and/or rubber for the helium containment vessel to carry the animal endangerment thing a-loft to come down unknown where.

Isn’t it lovely?
~~~~~~~~~~~
These some flower pot benches Handy makes out of used lumber. I’m waiting to see what he makes out of my old corncrib.

These are a greenhouse favorite where handy works part time.
~~~~~~~~~~~
Splitting some mulberry a few days ago.

I’ll pile it and forget it for four years. It’ll take that long to dry (season).
~~~~~~~~~~~
BGKC
Fernan

OK I missed a Day

10-11-o9
Well, not totally. I lived it, just didn’t include it in last night’s urinal entry. I woke late and laid around even later. When I finally got started, while Ray and Tom went back to work on the 6X6 Ranger I commenced to take a gate apart. The Sunday work day was cut short all of us having accepted a dinner invitation via Tom’s family. We all had a most refreshing afternoon/evening our side having to cut it short for evening chores whilst it were still light.
~~~~~~~~~~
Damn, damned, damned it, a wannabe maple tree (box-elder), having rotted through at the ground, had weakly come down sometime yesterday. Now by an act of nature I’ve got more wood cutting in my immediate future. The tree instead of falling clear it came down parallel to the road squishing a whole chunk of woven wire fence. Lucky me, if I haven’t already enough to keep me occupied more work is dropped on me. :^) Might know, three days ago two other chunks of box-elders had come down in the hollow’s barnyard. Things happen in threes? This windfall the third tree down I hope it is the last.
And I’ll bet I get to butcher this tree entirely upon my own. This for I won’t have the same Lady supervision I had seen some of the other neighborhood guys felling, cutting, and splitting some Butternut Creek bottom’s dead ash trees. That was a site to behold, grown boys Loopily supervised this very Saturday morning last until they could be trusted doing it right on all their combined owns.
~~~~~~~~~~~
Ho boy, have I ever been getting bad mouthed. All the ladies effected have been bringing me their words of discontent to the fence’s boundary. They been getting as close to me as they may, to complain, nag and bad mouth me as they possibly can ever since my involvement in Saturday’s weekend weaning start. There’s only so much bad mouthing a man can stand or take. And this enough said about the ladies ear bending tactics.
~~~~~~~~~~~
I’ve been blessed with good neighbors. Why only this very morning while I was looking for solutions to the removal of the remaining two trees I received the call, our loco tree cutting supervisor had sent me her most ardent trainee. Picking up Tom on my way home, an individual I have been tutoring in the finer points of wood cutting and splitting, and myself taking it up myself to cleverly take the JD loader equipped tractor to handle, steady, lift, and move the heavy trunk and branches of that fallen tree as needed. Between the three of us properly equipped big boys we had that tree whittled almost completely down to stove size. The need of an empty wood hauling trailer and the splitter it’ll be well taken care of. Remarkably I had never lost use of the fences electrical part, still working fine. I have to make one little tree species change, rather than a box-elder it turned out to be a mulberry tree. A mulberry wood pile already started this very Spring all that wood stacked together should be seasoned out in about four years for heating‘s use.
Now back to looking at things in another light. I do believe I have been called a “dern grumpy ol knucklehead pharts.” WELL! I represent that!! And I shall let it pass for the moment, however long that may take or last.
The previous words written Saturday.
~~~~~~~~~~~
10-12-o9
These words for Monday written Tuesday.
So what’d I do Columbus day? Nothing spectacular! I didn’t even give Columbus a thought all day. What I have done is decided that cut up tree is not a Mulberry tree either. It is/was in my present thought a fruit tree of some sort. Other than getting the trash out last night I don’t remember from nothing.
~~~~~~~~~~~
10-13-o9
It’s Tuesday, I slept 12 hours last night. Then hung around home all day. Putting up a front I can’t imagine why it should have seemingly taken me all day to unload the wood hauler? That done wood hauler needed a thorough cleaning, and that goes for some time. A year maybe. The wood hauler unloaded the bottom was covered in part under old cardboards. There was ample amounts of molds and funguses. What a yucky mess. And because, Handy, had used the trailer for hauling away used building materials all the bed cleanings had to go into feed-sack trash-bags. Nails can be a cattle nuisance ingested or stepped on. Once the wood was off the wood hauler I used one of Frieda’s kitchen spatulas to scrap the hauler’s floor and clean out the corners. That spatula is so tough I could use it for a trowel laying brick during days, serving pizza evenings, and dishing up my late night ice-cream treats. When I had finished I had also scraped off/up a cubic foot of composted earth. I used that dirt to fill a dip in the lawn.
Then to make it a big day, I had also pulled up all the remaining electric fence posts. The two remaining corner posts will come out with the tractor loader its next use.
Watching the weather, when the next string of nice days descends upon us I’ll be back a-field making more hay. Slow cooling off as the weather is, It’ll likely take two days to wilt down enough for baling and wrapping. BGKC.
Fernan

OK I missed a Day

10-12-o9
Well, not totally. I lived it, just didn’t include it in last night’s urinal entry. I woke late and laid around even later. When I finally got started, while Ray and Tom went back to work on the 6X6 Ranger I commenced to take a gate apart. The Sunday work day was cut short all of us having accepted a dinner invitation via Tom’s family. We all had a most refreshing afternoon/evening our side having to cut it short for evening chores whilst it were still light.
~~~~~~~~~~
Damn, damned, damned it, a wannabe maple tree (box-elder), having rotted through at the ground, had weakly come down sometime yesterday. Now by an act of nature I’ve got more wood cutting in my immediate future. The tree instead of falling clear it came down parallel to the road squishing a whole chunk of woven wire fence. Lucky me, if I haven’t already enough to keep me occupied more work is dropped on me. :^) Might know, three days ago two other chunks of box-elders had come down in the hollow’s barnyard. Things happen in threes? This windfall the third tree down I hope it is the last.
And I’ll bet I get to butcher this tree entirely upon my own. This for I won’t have the same Lady supervision I had seen some of the other neighborhood guys felling, cutting, and splitting some Butternut Creek bottom’s dead ash trees. That was a site to behold, grown boys Loopily supervised this very Saturday morning last until they could be trusted doing it right on all their combined owns.
~~~~~~~~~~~
Ho boy, have I ever been getting bad mouthed. All the ladies effected have been bringing me their words of discontent to the fence’s boundary. They been getting as close to me as they may, to complain, nag and bad mouth me as they possibly can ever since my involvement in Saturday’s weekend weaning start. There’s only so much bad mouthing a man can stand or take. And this enough said about the ladies ear bending tactics.
~~~~~~~~~~~
I’ve been blessed with good neighbors. Why only this very morning while I was looking for solutions to the removal of the remaining two trees I received the call, our loco tree cutting supervisor had sent me her most ardent trainee. Picking up Tom on my way home, an individual I have been tutoring in the finer points of wood cutting and splitting, and myself taking it up myself to cleverly take the JD loader equipped tractor to handle, steady, lift, and move the heavy trunk and branches of that fallen tree as needed. Between the three of us properly equipped big boys we had that tree whittled almost completely down to stove size. The need of an empty wood hauling trailer and the splitter it’ll be well taken care of. Remarkably I had never lost use of the fences electrical part, still working fine. I have to make one little tree species change, rather than a box-elder it turned out to be a mulberry tree. A mulberry wood pile already started this very Spring all that wood stacked together should be seasoned out in about four years for heating‘s use.
Now back to looking at things in another light. I do believe I have been called a “dern grumpy ol knucklehead pharts.” WELL! I represent that!! And I shall let it pass for the moment, however long that may take or last.
The previous words written Saturday.
~~~~~~~~~~~
10-13-o9
These words for Monday written Tuesday.
So what’d I do Columbus day? Nothing spectacular! I didn’t even give Columbus a thought all day. What I have done is decided that cut up tree is not a Mulberry tree either. It is/was in my present thought a fruit tree of some sort. Other than getting the trash out last night I don’t remember from nothing.
~~~~~~~~~~~
10-14-o9
It’s Tuesday, I slept 12 hours last night. Then hung around home all day. Putting up a front I can’t imagine why it should have seemingly taken me all day to unload the wood hauler? That done wood hauler needed a thorough cleaning, and that goes for some time. A year maybe. The wood hauler unloaded the bottom was covered in part under old cardboards. There was ample amounts of molds and funguses. What a yucky mess. And because, Handy, had used the trailer for hauling away used building materials all the bed cleanings had to go into feed-sack trash-bags. Nails can be a cattle nuisance ingested or stepped on. Once the wood was off the wood hauler I used one of Frieda’s kitchen spatulas to scrap the hauler’s floor and clean out the corners. That spatula is so tough I could use it for a trowel laying brick during days, serving pizza evenings, and dishing up my late night ice-cream treats. When I had finished I had also scraped off/up a cubic foot of composted earth. I used that dirt to fill a dip in the lawn.
Then to make it a big day, I had also pulled up all the remaining electric fence posts. The two remaining corner posts will come out with the tractor loader its next use.
Watching the weather, when the next string of nice days descends upon us I’ll be back a-field making more hay. Slow cooling off as the weather is, It’ll likely take two days to wilt down enough for baling and wrapping. BGKC.
Fernan

I remember when…..

…….the loved one looked pretty good to me all bent over scrubbing the kitchen floor, and even better later should I been behind her watching her hand beat a chocolate cake for a baked dessert.
~~~~~~~~~~~
Feeling sorry for myself talking to someone else……I’m feeling ashamed of myself. The following words I took back what I had written somebody else. “I could use a more dependable ride or driver up here.”
Rethinking my internal strife, we've really got three/maybe four/five part timers. Hmm, I think I need to study this further. Make up some kind of a by the day and hour availability list for loco runs.
~~~~~~~~~~~
Once I got it moving it was round up time, all day today, all three farms to gather up the calves for weaning. There’s going to be a lot of bawling tonight…. Thankfully the longest hike out was but a quarter mile; and, that was the last pasture’s gathering.
Yeah, yeah, yeah, with all the four-wheelers we’ve got around here what was I doing walking? So much rain the mud’s 4” to 6” deep on the level. Hardly fit terrain for an EzGo or a Cushman two-by and the Polaris Ranger’s still laid up with front hub repairs.
The worst part was the weighty feeling in my chest about the time I had to give it up. Three instant nitro’s under the tongue were like nothen. Home six more nitro’s from a brand new bottle, having some zip, I hope it was the stimuli I needed to level off my uncomfortable feeling. The house so warm it had the sand man must have been waiting for behind the door my walking in. Oh boy, may I blame the tears on sleepy eyes? I admit, I am shot, tired, pooped, and more than hungry enough to eat the an ear off each two frisky bulls in a head on clash. Meanwhile, I wondered if my hour’s wait will ever come to an end. BGKC.
Fernan

“You stink”…..

……she’d said. What a Hell of a spouses greeting first thing in the morning, “You stink!” Not ‘Good morning, Dear.’ nor “How’d you sleep, lover.?” No pleasantries, no endearments of any kind. Just “You stink!” I get no respect even for doing good deeds for the neighbors.
Well! I‘d guess I did. The offensive odor I had on about me I found I couldn’t stand it myself and I had even left my bibs hanging outside far enough under the eve they didn’t get wet with our over night’s rain. Sheesh, PU all that come from me? I hardly thought so, yet when I was reaching around the make shift barrier, between me and the picked up guest from one of the neighbor’s garden‘s, my releasing the triggered lock on a live trap. How sweet it was I hadn’t gotten any that skunk’s putrid otherwise unspoken answer to leave me alone on me let alone all over me. Oh the precaution? When first looking at my charge it wasn‘t one I was familiar with.
So it was needless to say my laundry needed doing. And, doing it I used a whole box baking soda with the standard scoop of full load soap. May I report everything come out smelling nice and fresh.
Oh! One more wee bit my getting even with our city cousins dropping off a litter of house cats by my the wrong side my mail box, That bit of barrier I had mentioned earlier when I held it out by my arms outstretched left and looking around about the end right end I saw two well placed in stereo yellow squirts covering not one but two areas as big as stop signs. Not particularly anxious to carry that feed sack back home with me, instead of depositing that bag in a most handily placed trash can I opted instead to hang that souvenir inside a very handy park outhouse as a work or art and inspiration all my shifty shity city cousins.
Moving on today’s living report it has been an exceptionally slow rainy day and that goes for the rain as well.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The lovingest part going to Grand Rapids night before last was all the children, missing the one, gathered around Frieda and myself in an unwarned Pizza Hut. We raised so much family Hell we laughed together until there wasn’t a dry eye in the funny roofed house. If it weren’t for our being such dedicated good paying customers John Law wasn’t called in to quill the our raucous behavior. Lawd, it was good seeing all the kids, almost the whole set in one place at one time. And most importantly Bless my daughter Filly for taking her parents the distance to see the troubled one. ‘Twas one Hell of a trip I shan’t forget anytime soon. So very helpless to help one of our own in trouble we all had resigned ourselves to the seemingly inevitable. For the rest BGKC.
Fernan
PS: Speaking for both of us, ladies. We thank your kindnesses for your words of understanding during our troubled time.

Feeling down and lousy.

A whole pocket full of troubles are weighing me down. First off, number three son has been hospitalized for some weeks for a variety of problems or ailments. The youngest daughter invited Frieda to go with her. I invited myself along as well, as I'm no longer a safe driver the distance the trip had to go. This girl, she's worrying something fierce over her brother’s multiple conditions. Worst part we can’t seem to find anyone to talk to. But, seeing him for ourselves, Frieda and I, I don’t see a happy recovery for this young man (44 yrs). In the psychiatric ward of the hospital they are merely keeping him comfortable. Talking with him he’s telling us about all the people he’s seeing, all these people having passed away four, six, nine, twelve, fifteen, twenty years ago. My trying to inspire, encourage, getting going, him he told, “I had gotten up this morning and let the dog out.”
Looking at him he appears to have no use of his hands and wrists, his hands simply drooping appendages on the ends of his arms. He’s no inclination to try and fight his way out of that bed. He appears to have given up on life. He looks and acts like given up living his life. He appears to have no ambition, no goals, no desire to improve his lot. It’s as if he’s nothing to live for? This last line is likely the closest of all the truths being right.
Worst part I can’t do a thing for him. I can’t take away and absorb his pain. While he recognized me I’ve no idea if he’ll remember I had even been to see him tomorow. There’s nothing I may do for him, what only he must do for himself.
Second, the weather is no help the pressure generating a dandy sinus headache. Third, trying to find time and a dry place to hang even one muffler under ugly hasn’t been easy; although, in-spite of the first two mind benders. I got to lay under Ugly about most of this very afternoon grinding old rusted parts off Ugly using shiny new bolts putting Ugly’s breathing back together again making for a much quieter operating machine in coming, passing, and going away. I hope I’ve crossed up all the neighbors, They’ve been telling they’ve know which way I was going listening even if I were a mile away.
Head pounding, this is it. Between lack of ambition and near totally wasted under a pounding headache, I may not be right for a couple days. BGKC.
Fernan
PS: There is a best part. Maybe tomorrow night?

Mufflers and pictures

I’ve got Ugly a pair of new mufflers. Ray wasted over a half a day looking in a half dozen places and I still didn’t have’em. I swear finding parts of any kind is becoming a thing of the past. I made one phone call, got a recommendation, and checked it out. Jumped into Ugly and went to a muffler shop and near bought everything I needed in one stop. Why? I got fed up calling these so called handy dandy cut rate auto parts stores Liking an “Auto Pluss,” or an “Auto Won,” or a “Parts Guess.” I think my reader gets the idea the places I speak of. I tried calling them. They got to have a part number because they can’t look it up? I simplify my need asking for a muffler what’s 27?“long with 2 ¼” inlet and outlet. I even look the mufflers up on the internet. I give’em the part number and I’m told, “We can’t use that number?” or “The warehouse doesn’t stock those mufflers?” or “The warehouse doesn’t carry that brand?” What the H___ why did they tell us to look up the numbers these products and then haven’t even a simple minded enough smarts to find and sell me what I want. Dummies!!!!!
The new driver tire is here for the 951 Ford. The old rotten side walled tire’s off. Ray been cutting and fit an appropriate wash in the rim for the inner-tube’s valve stem. Kid came up from down the hill and hand dug me post hole for a 13” diameter treated pine (old utility) gate post. Now all I got to do is repair the gate and drill a couple holes for a couple homemade gate hinges.
Was asked tonight why I hadn’t put a muffler on ugly. Simple. I couldn’t anywhere near the shop to even use a power cord or air line. When Ray homesteads he homesteads. Between wheel chairs and special cars and carts, his equipment do take up a lot of floor or drive area…err…areas.
~~~~~~~~~~~~
How about some pictures?
Finally, yes I say finally! The salt feeder place a few yards from the water fountain, somebody saw me pour in a bucket of mixed salt. It only took one lady to discover it, and another lady to see the first one and they all make a beeline for it. Reminds me of a sears and sawbuck January basement white sale.

Used this 3400 Ford loader-backhoe for digging up a Ash tree stump.

The stump loosened, Help is on the way in the form of one 4-180 articulated White tractor. It’s traveling companion the EzGo car carrying the chain the 4-180 will pull from the hole that stump will leave behind.

This is the stump, upside down, a 7’ diameter entanglement of a single Ash tree’s roots.

One of two twenty foot diameter firing’s the Ash tree tops and limbs what were left over after all of last weeks wood cutting and splitting fun extravaganza.

Well they may not be a lot of pictures nor the right ones. I admit goofing up some pictures what more likely should have been here? May I say I’ll try harder next time. Meanwhile, BGKC.
Fernan

‘Twas a busy day

So busy I’ll never remember what all I had done this day. Maybe more dialogue and pictures (including a trator or two) tomorrow night. I’ve wanted nothing less than crashing about that moment I came through that door leaving some very refreshing fall air behind meeting some cozy warm fireside snoozing air I was stepping into. BGKC
Fernan
zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

Opening with a Skunk…..

….rant! I just don’t understand people nonchalantly killing wildlife without good reason. I feel blessed to have skunks coming by and visiting us from time to time. I wouldn’t even mind if one came in the house in a well behaved refined manor.
Skunk’s principle diet consists of insects. All kinds of bugs: the grubs the gophers tunnel lawns for, flies they can reach, ants around the footings of building (house and out), Those diabolical wasps or hornets what nest underground people detest particularly when they’re stung by some. Ants of all kinds what build mounds, a skunk will eradicate one of these high-rise’s no mater how long it takes. And a little scent left behind now and then helps keep more troublesome wildlife pests at bay.
I’ve encountered dozens of skunks. If I had one an uninvited guest, I’d have simply left the exit door open and barricaded the rest. Butt, go ahead and indiscriminately destroy all wildlife about us until we’ve no other life to gauge our own survival to.
I might have laughed, but with a deeper sadness within my heart. Carelessness and thoughtlessness is more dangerous than a passing polecat invading a kitchen. I can appreciate any animal eating anything when it’s hungry, and perhaps trapped inside a house. I’ve eaten a lot of things to know what they are if my survival was dependent upon them in nature’s unexplored bounty.
I dislike a lot of things but understanding their purpose is the only step in the right direction. I have my troubles with raccoons the damage they do to feed in mischief and maybe disease infested orfal leavings. They stay in the woods we have no problems and there’s a lot of them out back. I heard at least six of them just three days ago out there. I also have a dislike to ground hogs in the barnyard and hayfields. As long as the keep to fence lines and windbreaks we’ve no problems. Their undermining skills can sure make a mess of an out building or the damage done to a tractor or finely tuned implement.
But this the first time I’ve rad of somebody out and out killing one to get his home scented.
Fernan
PS: I've only been sprayed once during all the years I have relocated a live trapped skunk from my barn to a known ant hill.
PS: Handy's had visiting his place an old almost all white with a single black striped male skunk friend of mine. This guy is a hoot to watch. This guy hanging around Hand's place helps keep the deer out of his garden.
~~~~~~~~~~~
In answer to “Hey Fern?”
Oh Lawd, I've been so busy around my Shorthorn country. Have slackened off the last couple days on account of rain. The rain giving me a much needed slow down.
We'd almost had four/five full weeks without and precipitation or is that participation.

Sorry about leaving yours out of the only two sites I look into. There's only so little of me to be everywhere.

Otherwise read me often. I make a journal contribution almost every night. If you do, you'll see where I haven't even given Herr Clink a difficult time ever so lately. Rather unlike me. Ain't nothing I like better than keeping our first and only battle between our sex's going all these years.

Enjoying a bit of rest will be haying again as soon as we have a real hard frost to tone down the alfalfa.
Fernan
~~~~~~~~~~~
My Day in actuality
What a drippy day. Hold up in the house this AM. Wrote mostly stuff I don't want anybody to read until a hundred years after I'm gone.
How does that old adage go, "If ya can't do it, write it?"
Tried digging out a stump. Dug it full circle and it barely budged. I'm thinking 4-180 with ½” tested chain will uproot it. Called away from my stump I got involved cleaning mower-conditioner and parking it for the winter. Next it were changing drawbar's and putting the big baler away in the winter's shed. Lastly I had my fun getting the predictably notional 951 Ford tractor going again just to drop brush-hog for post-hole digger. Finally I got somebody to listen to me the Ford's starboard side driver-tire's shot. Have no idea why the inner-tube’s sticking out the sidewall and don't blow. It's finally laid up, now, for tire replacement starting tomorrow.
Otherwise quiet peaceful day.
Fernan
BGKC.

Wet Wet Wet

Rain continues to entertain me today. Every time it’s taken a few minutes to clear and dry up, the moment I step our the door here it comes again. Had enough dry time to bring a couple dry arm full’s of firewood in. Had enough dry time to venture out to find at least one tin bucket wit lid for ashes. Had all the dry time within these walls to shovel out the woodstove. These were the first ashes of the new heating season I’d carried out.
I had thought about finishing washing the kitchen floor. I even thought long and hard enough, with the encouragement of the sun coming out, I managed to come up with an excuse to go dig up a stump. About now take note of all the up’s I have spoken of. I was about to finally came to a downer. That stump dug about 80% the circumference around it, it started to rain again. I can’t take to much rain anymore as I’m feared I shall melt, particularly if I should be found to be made of either sugar or salt. And more importantly I don’t want to weaken my immunity defenses what with the possibility of either running into the flu bug or the just plain old Michigan crud.
Comfortably nested in my recliner typing this dribble it seems to have quit raining again. Seems now I need to get off and on to hay the ladies down in the hollow. Hmm, I might even carry in a couple more arm loads firewood. I don’t want over do it as I’m still fishing….err….wishing for a couple uncommitted days to install at least one new front door assembly on the front of this house. A process I don’t know if Tom has ever participated in? It just could work out to be a most unusual learning experience for one or both of us.
Heading out to do the evening chores it was pleasant enough. The moments I’d cleaned….err….dried the tractor seat off and the tractor standing between the gates to the hay-yard it come the rain again. Committed I paid no mind to the wet stuff doing what had to be done. A bale for my ladies, they were up here before I had gotten out with the second bale. I’m glad they weren’t horses. They’d been gone and likely in the next county by now. Cows are so much easier to handle.
This then, was my lazy day. BGKC.
Fernan

Knowen her Limit

Frieda’d gone shopping yesterday. Her money burning a hole in her purse she took all I had to keep it company with her and her’s. I sure glad she’d had a good time. Everything working out just fine. I’d found a couple new friends In Tom‘s family. One of them willing to drive into the places I’m either a-feared, uncomfortable, or just plainly become to unnerved to drive; and, that’s just around this inner Flint area.
One of the things she brought home were a big package of fresh tree ripened Michigan grown plumbs. They’s so good If’en I lost myself control I loose all control if’en ya all known’s my saying.
Yup the money she took with her worked out just about right getting her home halfway between lunch and supper. Don’t want to say it, but I am, yesterdays fruity boxed lunch hardly a looked back on pre-plumb welcoming feasting. And supper, The main entry was some sort of a contrived cardboard supposed meat(?) offering. Thankfully the peas were the best part of that meal. They might have even better if’en I’d had a proper challenging pea eaten seventeenth century knife to have gone along with them.
What other produce delights she’s brought home she hasn’t ‘fessed up to just yet. My coming in so dog dragging arsed tired she merely pumped me enough with question I’d last awake long enough for one them pre-mentioned packaged awful suppers. Yuk!
So tired I sort of snoozed off an on all day. Did some readying up in here. Managed to temporarily put some storage tubs into the unfinished room. I even started scrubbing the kitchen floor. Half of it’s looks pretty good. Down there on my knees I remembered I had no idea I’d be in such a prayer mood fifty-some years after I had only gotten down on one knee way back when. The worst part? I’m not sure? Was it the punishing after the yes I had gotten for the question I had asked back then or the most current painful getting backup upright because this floor needs such a real close personal scrubbing.
So while it rained an inch starting the wee hours this morning it had relatively kept up the pace all day. Had I spent more time outside I’d likely come back in soaking wet looking like a wrinkled prune. Still, my wands in spic’n’span water I’m looking like I’ve got dishpan hands.
To break up the monotony of staying in for the most part I leisurely looked after my laundry, and put the produce in the freezer Frieda had brought home yesterday. Not putting everything in the freezer the fresh tree ripened plumbs could prove a curse tomorrow morning. Oh dear! BGKC.
Fernan

Preparing ahead

Preparing ahead……
For one in misery:
I like planting trees and bushes. I get the biggest kick out of the birds making them their homes in branches low enough where I may look into/upon them.
No time is ever wasted planting a tree. I often wonder who and what the folks had thought either leaving some and/or planting others when they settled this country. I wonder how far they looked ahead. I wonder if the they had wondered if they live to see ALL the changes.
Gathering tractor info will take some time as I'm still nowhere caught up to winter's first call.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
……I try to be ready for winter.
Firewood taken care of early these last two weeks by another’s over zealous ambitions to his health’s capability. Meanwhile all the grease guns filled only the other day. Gotta in a must way dig up a couple fence posts and replace them with new before the ground freezes. Build or rebuild a couple gate to fit particular gate openings. A biggy for tomorrow before the October rains descend upon us, cover (or tarp) the firewood piles protection from snows. Gotta pull posts out of the ground around my yard for clear access snow removal. WITCH reminds me the big-a tractor snow blower needs a new bottom. It might come in handy here? Clean mower-conditioner and cover. Put the 605 Vermeer baler away in shed for another year. When haying’s done winterize hay wrapper. Collect and gather unused equipment batteries for inside storage and trickle chargers. Make ready tubs to cover JD consoles and buckets to top vertical exhaust pipes. Plus whatever else may come to mind. So it may be seen I’ve got just six weeks to prepare for measurable or accountable snows. Otherwise all my free time is my own.
Oh yeah, I’m reminded every productive work day with cramps I’ve ever enjoyed as some of my post day wind-down relaxations mindful activities. I try keeping bananas and oranges in the house. Bananas’ I can only eat late night. Eatened earlier during the day they give me a pain under my breast bone. I can also enjoy eating a good sized chewable orange. Can’t take orange juice to this day, without wanting up-chuck even just seeing it in a glass, after a two month diet for hepatitis a half century ago. For a medical solution I’ve a third solution taking a third a dozen Valium with a double bourbon. This remedy doesn’t necessarily take the pain away but then I don’t give a shyit either.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
6:00 &7:30 AM
When ya got it.......Ya got it. And I got it. I woke up to it, the deck felt like it were iced before light with a visual confirmation at sunrise.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Well the equipment is ready and willing to go haying one more last time this season. Only a couple drawbacks. We're sposed to get heavy rains tomorrow. Then its anybody's guess after that. Weather guesser's still predicting a possible rain shower everyday after that?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
6:30 PM and I’m a whipped puppy. Busy, busy all the Sunny day. Mentally and physically exhausted far short the mental prowess to set down what I can’t remember what I did today. Trying to remember involved topping off the fluids in the 4020 JD, some toting extra fuels. Fixed fence in a Bull pen holding two bulls.
While anyone, should anyone, be looking on and taken with concerned for my safety working amidst a couple Shorthorn bulls. No worries my sharing my time with these big guys tipping the scales at better than 2000 pounds apiece. Shorthorns in general are oh so easy to get along with, they’s just big baby’s.
One more thing I got roped into splitting and hauling firewood. I didn’t need that, not so late into the day when I’d been perfectly content enough to have waved a magic air wand around and over that machine to clean the mower-conditioner for covered storage.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Totally exhausted I’ve near fallen asleep between the rattlers the beer and supper. Supper wasn’t Frieda’s cooking, but hungry I ate it. BGKC.
Fernan