Tuesday, August 31, 2010

Back up a Shorthorn moment

I bring this comment back to the forefront, “Are you sure you did all that? I mean, your vision was impaired. Maybe you just THOUGHT you did all that.”
I assure the reader it was a slow day. I only did (worked at) three things and it was Barry who was a big help all morning long. As for the afternoon I only baled a little over half the field at a speed that if not watched closely I might have been taken for going at it backwards. I will admit when the heat of the day descended upon me for one thing that eye’s damnable black patch had gotten to be a very uncomfortable nescience. By that time I took it off and buried it deep in my bib’s breast pocket. Now for the second thing my vision impaired as admittedly it was for true, before I was even caught as late as night’s twilight dissention it was before them shadows was darkening everything I climbed aboard my Greene a-headed for home. The way I figured, as handicapped as I was I had put in a particularly good day. Not one to be particularly proud of but a good one just the same. Okay, I hadn’t filled the hole back in, I hadn’t finished baling that measly seven acre hay field, and I hadn’t chop one stick firewood. And I still got three windfalls to cut up because a couple them windfalls have taken out the fences for two badly needed pastures.
I’s got to add one more thing, a bit of advice really for any young man. Don’t get yourself involved with any young female or more for they’ll surely grow on you meaning you’ll have to forever more provide for the company you think you deserve and she (they’ll) serve you right. (Big Ear To Ear Grin Here!)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
There are day’s I have more fun with words than others……LMAO!
Oh Lawd, I hadn’t made up a new word yet this fine morning to be alive.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Well while I ain’t got an itch for scratching, reluctantly I got to do some wood cutting. I’s got at least one miserable windfall to take off a single fence messing up the apian* way for the my mob to transverse their miserable complaining ways out to two more pastures. That single fence down may also temp the ladies honesty to stay out of the hay yard as well.
As for the coffee, I’m passing on it as I’ve fallen off the smokeless wagon but once the last three weeks, since I’ve missed, skipped, and/or forsaken the Columbian brew. Maybe the quit will last this time. While I may never catch-up a couple records here, I’m already feeling better without the morning hacks.
Fernan
*No reference to busy bees intended!
PS: Thinking while I’m at it, I might better take care of at least one more what was a live windfall out in the western pasture. And, since the leaves have at least wilted, and hopefully fallen for a clearer look at the what it’ll take to clear this fallen mess away, perhaps when we’ve snow this winter?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
My morning’s activity started with cutting up the fallen limbs off an old choke cherry tree on the primary lane fence going out back. It didn’t take long really, but the heat…Icarumba it was bad my clothing soaked well before lunch. Which came earlier than usual my wanting a few extra moments cooling down time with a tall tea. What the…I ate an early cold lunch while I were in. Next stop the duck lake pasture. Had to do it in two trips having forgotten how big that windfall was. One to cut it up the second to split it. The wood hauler loaded sits out here in the shade. And while it sits, I had brush piles to get rid of like post haste. Today’s whole work campaign has been post haste my trying to make these ladies happy with new food filling their mouths stilling all their bawling voices. Anyway the fences checked, an insulator replaced and some 14 gage wire replacing a chunk of rusty 17 gage wire, the fences were ready for testing. I checked their strength with a field meter. The ladies will test them with their tenacity. Done going on late afternoon and/or early evening makes little difference to me. I’ve hit my wall, taken my pills, put drops in my eye, and need to go shopping. I want some ice ream!
Called and picked up Handy to go store. Seemed like old times. On way home got Greene gas to see what filled top half a gas tank.
Once home I finished my evening outdoor chores in cooler air. Whew, a light evening breeze is feeling oh so good. Gosh, I’ve listened to a lot of people complain about this Summer’s heat. I can’t make up my mind whether they’re for real complainers or wimps. As a kid I knew the summer’s back when they were always hot. We might have had a fan but it couldn’t be depended on for being safe. Air conditioners were for the wealthy and funeral homes. Kid lunches were something like two maybe two and a half hours long and enjoyed under the canopy of big-a tree shading us from the sun. I remember chores were always at 5:00 o’clock every morning and night regardless anything else, for I had a part in them. Summer milking was at the fence across the way over our driveway. Handy what? BGKC.
Fernan

Monday, August 30, 2010

Mixed Blessings

If you’ve read me, you'd know what kind of days I've had these last week‘s day‘s. Greene coming into our lives. Haying machines working in spite small ailments. Hay field’s production finished yesterday was so high I haven’t had enough education to count that high. Ground speeds so slow so’s baler could handle the intake I thought at times I might been going at it backwards. Bottom line I’m glad that field’s done. Got one more Sudex field, two 2nd cut 50/50 field‘s, one 2nd cut field clover, one 2nd cut field grass, and one 3rd cut alfalfa field yet to go. The alfalfa field I’ve got to cut 21 days before or after first serious frost. My eye’s slowly but surely getting better. And I’ve got a whole bureau drawer full of new shirts.
I’ve been telling my frau to quit hiding our wooden spoon. Actually she’s been repeatedly putting it away where she keeps it. During this hot weather I’ve been drinking two individually stirred cold teas by the quart to quince my thirsts. Now it is I’ve given into another one the modern ways, I’ve purchased instant ice tea mix. Even so I still like the use of the wooden spoon so’s I don’t bruise the delightful flavors I’d eventually chugalugged past my waiting taste buds. For today’s lunch I enjoyed a couple eggs Frieda had watched sink before she had hardboiled them. For the one bad egg what had floated she threw that one away. With those eggs I enjoyed some farm fresh cottage cheese and some very tasty tomatoes out of the ever busy loopy acre's estate’s kitchen garden. Of course a hard boiled egg can not be enjoyed to the utmost fullest without lots of salt and even more pepper. Cottage cheese also needs extra plenty covering of pepper to add that zany zest a bland helping of boiled eggs and cottage cheeses need for my tastes. (grin)
All the hay’s in the yards, daylight left I went to shop to work on Cushman. Picked up tools, emptied buckets, consolidated oils, put proper trash in feed sack trash bags for trash pickup, and fixed Greene’s tailgate so’s the latch handle mechanism worked. Greene’s tailgate in good working order, now I can remove the capper. I think I’ll add a molded black plastic tool box to Greene right behind the cab with a couple baskets so’s I’ve a place to put a few farmer needed things.
Well, I’ve come to the end of another splendid shorthorn country day. Its getting onto that time I best rest up for another one tomorrow. BGKC.
Fernan

Sunday, August 29, 2010

Long day sort-a

Was a-field by 8:30 AM baling sudex hay. Was tough going the very last two rounds. Had two plugs. Was clear down to 1st gear in low range making breakneck speed at less than a half mile per hour. Was 1:00 PM by time I had finished this baling. Was 6:00 PM finished hauling and wrapping. Okay, I only put in about 9 Sunday hrs working time. I am thoroughly beat just the same.
I had stopped in inquire about renting an adjoining piece of ground. A very attractive young lady answering the door, to speak to me, in a terri cloth bathrobe. From my recollection she looked even prettier, over yesterday’s fence, in bleached white short-shorts. Va va vaoom!
After I had shared my brief encounter with Frieda, she called me a dirty old man. }:^( Funny, I can remember when my Frieda had either sought out or accepted my hands on approaches upon her person. Now she belittles me a wee bit of a remindful eye strain. (frown)
Seated a few moments in our brand new to us pick’em up truck, my pushing dash buttons I found the radio worked and like at least the last two pickups the horn did not. One largely noticeable difference between this more modern vehicle and the last half dozen collector items it has what might be called a cup or bottle holder. Wow, what advances my living long enough I’ve seen this new millennium? BGKC.
Fernan

Saturday, August 28, 2010

Eight to Eight….

…‘s’enough for me this day. 1st off the deck I left the house my right eye under the customary black dressy accessory for the look. Freely delving into the 1st chore on the day’s menu, Barry and I worked putting Ford loader-hoe’s choke back together. Remember somebody had liked to rip the whole thing out of the tractor’s dash.
The Ford oiled and lubed (a job considering its loaded with zerk fittings) 2nd task on the menu was dig up a barnyard water line to queer a spring like leak making an unappreciated great lake. Me digging I managed to nearly rip out a four foot chunk water pipe. An electric wire also I the wrong place at the same time spliced easily today. The water on the hole open I‘ll check it tomorrow for sure enough no further leaking. Then let Bro‘ fill it in with the JCB so he‘s had an opportunity to play with it also. And, then it was lunch.
Getting into the 3rd chore of the day was involved. The hay baling and loader tractors both needed fuel Greene’s (new to us Chevy) been baptized today with assorted gasoline and diesel fuel can toting’s. To make transition easier Barry helped me move the equipment down the road. I only wish he hadn’t parked the JD in the goldenrod stand rimming the entire hayfield. I’m allergic to that stuff. Well, I baled until the tractor shadows had started leaning into the next township. Dealing with one small plug it wasn’t a bad afternoon this crop so heavy I baled it at the breakneck speed of one and one half mile per hour, using second gear low. The field only seven acres I’ve been rolling from six to seven bales per round.
So this was another one of my precious day’s lived in Shorthorn country. BGKC.
Fernan

Friday, August 27, 2010

Bad-Good news

Some painful bad news first. Right eye so damnably sore the left one has joined it in pained sympathy. Argh! Only relief is the cussed, also uncomfortable, fashionable black eye patch. At least the color’s okay. Meanwhile I do little looking at anything I don’t really need. (tough)
Ugly continues unfixed and I don’t give a damn, no better than my eyes feel right now. Ugly has even come or gone so far as to even become either or both mossy and/or moldy.
[IMG]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v343/FMGruber/Machinery%20Etc/tractorandorimplement002.jpg[/IMG] “At ease disease, there is fungus among us.”
In desperation, I purchased another Chevy to temporarily get around in.
[IMG]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v343/FMGruber/Machinery%20Etc/tractorandorimplement005.jpg[/IMG]
This little runner come fully loaded: AC, PS, PB, HD hitch, decent tires, including a couple/three little things (Dr’s inside dr-handle & tailgate handle & open cable) needing fixing, to be expected. Opps. I forgot to ask “What kind of motor oil’s in the engine?”
Now, I can pick up such simple cravings such as bread and milk in passing (something I havn‘t been able to do for Handy), when nobody going by has got the time. Now, I can even get to workshop and at least with some unfashionable eye protection goggles I may clean Cushman parts. Bottom line, I’m not walking long distances out in the elements any more than I have to.
Now, some for troops, having left me sitting on the side lines until they need a scapegoat for nothing getting done. Shyit, they can all keep their freaking rides and PUCKER UP!.
And Bless all the folks who’ve helped us keep our medical appointments. And another big blessing on the folks yesterday getting us to the bank, US Post Office, Mr. Brown’s, and in passing by our eventfully seeing and purchasing the new to us temporarily badly needed pick’em-up truck. (smile) It looks like a keeper to me.
Alternative above pictures (thems above)
1st Photobucket
And
2nd Photobucket Photobucket

I spent most the day washing Cushman parts, morning and afternoon. Also spent some time (as well as Bro’) looking for a misplaced Cushman engine tappet cover. Last thing I did for the Cushman was start the piston cleaning with a couple cans water just enough to soak the piston tops carbon for some easier cleaning when I get back to'em.
Bro’ finally showed me the rowing pond n the east end the upper barn. Checking materials, didn’t have any which meant a run over to the Crossroads. Then it was find Barry and go bring Ford loader-hoe back home. Now, we’re supposed to start with the water line repair dig first thing come morning. Next part of the day’s gonna keep me busy slow baling some heavy crop Sudex, meaning another gear or TWO drop?
Well, getting late, taken my patch off, gotta get some rest for what could be a real full day tomorrow. BGKC.
Fernan

Thursday, August 26, 2010

Shopping day sort-a

Our good neighbors come by, picked us up, and took us for the rounds: I mailed my manuscript, UPS return used Cushman parts for the core charge, Picked up some rubber motor mounts parts for Cushman engine, found out AC clutch plate unavailable at loco parts store (I-via), stopped by Goodwill store and found me a dozen shirts (most brand new), Frieda hit a Dollar store gathering (Sheesh, cost me a small fortune before getting the gatherer out of there; but, I’ve got socks and shorts, (I-via). Stopped by bank (to go broke), and on way home looked at pickup truck sitting along side the road (left name and number). Was later shown truck, drove it, got some history, sure it needs a few fixings but otherwise solid vehicle and I bought it, anemic-ing our bank account (100% down, nothing/month). Got a whole lot of running done and running wheels under us again as well.
By mid-afternoon my eyes so sore I tried resting them. Doing so I’m informed I was supposed to have ground grain today. Having my first urge to kill, the troops had been discussing it among themselves having had neglected to tell me about it. The one who had to do it. Idjiots! And Ugly still needs fixing?????
In my travels up and down my road one party comes out to talk to me providing me with the second urge to kill. “I could have bought that truck for you for less money.” Oh yeah, sure, only the way I‘ve heard it, “Money talks, bullshit walks!”
Going to be after dark my eating my supper again tonight. I guess it’s better than going hungry like some third world souls. BGKC
Fernan

Wednesday, August 25, 2010

Tainted Eggs

How about this: Michigan not to be left out of anything: our governor’s deer pass their TB onto our domestic animals given a bovine name, we’ve got job losses and unemployment, mortgage foreclosures and homeless, and now tainted eggs and luckily nobody sick yet; butt, give us time. When I mentioned Michigan made the tainted eggs list, Frieda went off on a tangent. She knows a questionable egg when she sees one; plus, one uncompromised rule once an egg is cooked and cooked well it’s eatened right away. It isn’t put in the refrigerator to age. And, a some big AND’s, she cracks and opens her egg in an independent bowl before that egg goes into her pan or recipe. If that egg has something foreign to a healthy look its gone. If that egg does not hang together it’s gone. In her kitchen if its gone that’s as in thrown away! If this ain’t enough info, it’s all I remember of her dissertation.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
My day I’d have gladly passed of to an enemy if I had one. My right eye so darn sore I went back to Doc with my sore eye. I’d put the patch back on it for any little breeze or heaven forbid a wind blowing on it, irritating it. Doc looked and saw nothing in particular under the eye lid, save for a few scratches on the pupil. Seeing nothing more, Doc got me an instant appointment with an eye specialist using a big-a ten-power magnifying glass. More eye lid manipulations he confirmed my Doc’s suspicions, simply scratches that’ll take time to heal. Meanwhile, I’ve been loaded for bear with almost three months supply eye drop antibiotics, at 1-2 drops in the eye four times a day, I shouldn‘t even get an infection in my adenoids.
Raymond calling me he’s gonna do the hero thing and go bale. A little while later he calls the baler isn’t working right. I can believe that. When he gets through tinkering with we’ll be able to fix it all over again. Its odd how it’s worked fine for me all summer and is supposedly falling apart for him. Well, by the time I got back and a ride out to the field the baler again worked just fine for me. Most importantly one most have patients with this machine as with some others. Seems most my brother’s problems with machinery he pushed the faster than they can handle the work loads. I’ve found and to often forget, dropping as much as a single gear is all it takes to avoid plugs o even other minor irritations. Oh well, that ground’s crop is baled. Then I went down the road to mow another field of sudex. Now this crop so healthy and full I dropped the same tractor I had used on the last crop three gears for this last one. In that gear the tractor was bordering on boiling over. I had worked it.
Getting home 7:30 PM I'm nearing exhaustion. Trying t take my medications I’m called out to solve a wrapper problem, and there was one. Talk about operator error, the wrapper had unbelievably skipped a bale. It’d be 9:30 PM before I got to my supper. I’m note gonna say what somebody should have done instead of wasting ALL OUR times. Ugly still isn’t fixed! BGKC.
Fernan

Tuesday, August 24, 2010

Checking’s

The fences working’s less than stellar sundown last, I’ve just gotten back in from finding the faulty wire. I told Frieda, “You were of no help to me out there.”
“How’d I been a help?” she asked.
“Well,” told her, “You could have pointed out the problem!”
Please note how I share responsibility.
Luckily, well rested, I found it in one walk around. This short would had never been found from the seat of anything comfortably ridden in stead my having to walk it. Worst part the whole walk I didn’t see a single varmint of any kind of or sort.
Checked on any one of the carburetors supposedly coming. (disappointment personified, or nuts) Not one had shown up again.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Back in the house, Frieda’s cleaning up again our getting ready to go for her lower GI. Myself having been a-field tending to the ladies, I simply put on a shirt I wasn’t coming out of. Hairs brushed, her bag packed, a shopping list in my pocket, we waited our ride.
Another more recent event, I talked to some folks walking past the house evening last. I had asked them if they could help us out with a rid now and then. They were delighted. Told me just ask in time giving them time.
Putting it my way…..they’re free any day of the week except Friday through Wednesday…..They are taking me to the bank, Post Office, and UPS Thursday. };^))
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
On the way out the door my right eye bothering me I put that mystical black patch back on over my eye before leaving home.
Well, we made it to Frieda’s medical appointment and back in good order. Doc didn’t find anything excitingly difficult wrong with her but wants to see her again in two years.
I got to tell you our lady driver is impressive the way she wheels her one ton extended cab dually through traffic like it were a Checker Cab. I wonder if she’s learned to drive in the streets of Chicago, Illinois.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Stopping off at Meijer’s Thrifty Acres on the way home I got the meagerest of groceries, An original factory ink module for my printer this time. No more them refills for me. What a waste of money. That refilled recycled vessel leaked ink out all over everything and only printed what IT felt like.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Frieda home and settled in I found a ride to finish hay baling a field’s cut Sudex. About half way done The baler quit. Upon examination a rock only a mite larger than a golf ball had taken out one of the drive chains. Taken to the shop it took awhile to find enough parts to repair. That chain now as four master links holding it all together. I must remember to purchase some new chain one of these day’s.
Bro’ finally coming out having studied the manual and called the dealer for a hydraulic fluid leak cause. With an understanding over what we were doing we soon had it repaired from an assortment of some such “O” ring kits I had purchased some years ago.
Checking my mail, my AC hay rake manual hasn’t come yet. I wonder if it got caught up in customs with the FBI, the CIA, PETA, the AARP, and the HOME Board examining it for espionage content. Originally printed in the states it should not have any trouble coming back home from where it had originally started out. But, who knows? Having checked the mal, coming in I removed the eye patch, Te eye feeling better the patch had worked its magic for me another day.
Having a cussed fly bugging me I asked Her Mostess to swat it. When she finally got around to swatting it I think she missed the fly but soundly got me a good one just the same. I mentioned it and she jollily remarked, “That was alright. She admitted she was at least having some fun for her effort!” (crazy sadistic woman) {;^)) How long does it take for the red mark to go away?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Being I didn’t finish all I had intended to do today, the day was full just the same. Oh Lawd, As wide as I’m yawning I had better call it a night. There are just only so many hours I may put in in a day. BGKC.
Fernan

Monday, August 23, 2010

Making adjustments

Riding in truck with window open bother’s my healing eye, so I ride with that eye closed to the winds and breezes. No moving air problems once I’m a-field on a tractor.
Gosh as much as I ate the thought when Herr Clink is up to it we’ve got to go shopping for clothing’s. Fore my self I could use a couple bags of socks and by any means some shirts. Frieda needs some under garments and she’d like a couple pretty dresses. Gosh, I remember when I could care less if she had anything on. As far as shirt are going I’ve about worn all mine out and I m note to sure I should mention the latest hand me down blouses I’ve been wearing a-field. What tickles me nobody has yet noticed the opposite buttoning. Oddly enough only wimmin notice the garment’s look then asking me about the material. “Once, when I had mentioned from where I had gotten the garment, I was told, “I don’t want to now.” (grin) Until then I hadn’t had any reflective thoughts about reflected images. (smiles)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Darn it. Yesterday was the second day in a row, out of three this past week, that a somewhat promised carburetor for Ugly had not showed up. These waiting games are prying upon my mind. I’ve got no handy way to go Postoffice or UPS to make a couple mailings. Discouraging at the mercy ever getting a ride when my own are broke down.
Is this the way it’ll always be from here on out?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Opps, It wasn’t until I had walked in last night that I realized I hadn’t my latest blouse I’d worn me. I had told Frieda how I thought I had lost the blouse and perhaps baled it? She chuckled and commented my not worrying about it, it’ll show up. Then I assured her I hadn’t lost it. my finding it had actually slipped down behind the tractor’s seat cushion, “Well at least I wont see some cow wearing found in a bale of hay.” Frieda out and out laughed at that.” I wonder was it the image or her two life times long continued laughing at me.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I know what happen this morning. My brother saw to it was wasted. Ugly ain’t been nothing but the stubborn mechanical Antichrist. When Thought we had fix of sorts two weeks ago I took the Cushman apart. Now that neither one of them running I miss that bicycle I had hard up ridden over the years. I’d still had it if I hadn’t sacrificed it for the quadracycle last winter. There ain’t nothing left excepting for a bull and he ain’t been broke; and, I ain’t gonna get broken breaking him. And then my roller-skates I’m afraid wont roll well down a gravel road. Now, there’s only one alternative left, that I shall not mention, without a photograph to back it up!
At the crack of 11:30 AM, picked up, we got underway hauling and wrapping hay. The third cell filled out down the road I move the wrapper up here. Starting with what’s left of the Sudex we’ll start wrapping the remainder here. Come late December when they’re opened they’ll be summer grazing yummy to the ladies. Tom making an appearance after a week’s absence took over my part watching the wrapping machine. I had seen a choke cherry limbs had come down. Going to investigate The fence under them had been knocked down. Having gone that far I found another fence’s electric wire broken. Darn, double darn nuts, I had to walk all the way up front to turn off the fence, find repair wire, and pliers and walk back. Testing wire for charge strength It was near worse than poor. I looked for a short and found several. And the fence just barley show interest in working. I gave my ladies a large bale and the junior misses down the road a fresher bale. I took another turn around the front east side pasture finding another short to fix. The sun settling behind the tree line the wire displaying some traces of energy , which was stronger than myself. It’s time to quit. Sorry about my leaving some story behind I got to cut it off. BGKC,
Fernan

Sunday, August 22, 2010

childish doings…..

……What do a railroad sock and two buttons have in common?
Many, many years ago having some difficulty communicating with a child daughter I had an idea. Having an orphan railroad sock taking up space in my sock drawer I asked Frieda to have that girl pick two buttons from the button tin and sew them onto that sock a couple inches up from the toe. For me Frieda looked at kind-a funny like, “Two buttons on a sock’s toe?” No time to ‘splain I had to go to work.
That evening Frieda giving me my buttoned sock when daughter come walking by my wearing said sock on my hand a portion of that sock’s toe tucked into the palm of my hand. Throwing my voice I called out her name. Having her attention she came back to the talking sock. I was thrilled as was she. I was making my sock talk and my girl had a magic sock talking just to her alone. What an idea, sock and daughter communicating. Theoretically I kept my mouth shut. My not interfering I found an easy way to talk to a shy child, a worried child, a sorry child. It was amazing how she’d talk to my (that) sock when she’d otherwise ignored or avoided me. That sock was of another identity. Another more trusted go between each child could dump on. It wasn’t long my sock had become a trusted tight lipped for its ears only soul. It had come to pass what a child entrusted o the sock was privileged information. Egads, I couldn’t even rat on them to their mother.
Old sock had one flaw of sorts. It liked to entertain and had from time to time become a party favorite.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
This morning’s memory gone, I still remembered my afternoon’s baling and mowing hay offerings in part added to a successful day‘s doings. That was a lot of tractor time. Best part, no troubles with either machine. Well, looks like I ain’t lost it all yet. {;^))
Oh darn, my eyes pulsating feeling like a couple pinball’s hit off flippers bounced about from bumper to bumper. BGKC.
Fernan

Saturday, August 21, 2010

I been missing

Catching up won’t be easy. So sorry about your loss Dan. Loop may be managing an ART VAN Furniture outlet in the north woods. Mike’s kicking fledglings out of the nest. Bob’s washing down cake with booze. Gerrit’s another year older. Somebody’s keeping worms in her coffee while shop lifting. Rosie’s rightfully letting mike do all the work. Jim’s taking his Bug to blacksmith school to learn how to handle a bellows. Sid isn’t raising any dust. Zippy doesn’t know what he’s doing. Tac’s inventorying bridges for the straight and narrow. RP’s Jim is winding clocks, and a Kyote is helping him whine. Ron likes traffic. And mostly it ain’t easy catching up to the behind.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Now back to me. (conceited smile and laughing) So much has gone wrong this morning its been like being caught between a rock and a hard place. I’ve had nothing except bad luck all morning long. I feel as though I been caught on a flat rock getting bashed in some manner one way or another. Instead of Shorthorn country this morning I feel as though I had been living and doing it on flat rock, at flat rock. My morning had gone something like this.
First off it had rained last night. Secondly Barry had twice/thrice in last night’s conversation promised to be here this morn between 8:00 and 8:30 AM. Thirdly Barry neglected to show up. So forthly, I started my morning out on shanks mare. I had to have the WD45 brought home and the inverter removed. That taken care of I hooked onto wood hauler taking it out to the vicinity of the western pet cemetery to clean it out throwing the brush of sweeping the bark and dirt off. On my way back home again I checked fences and eventually had given the western most pasture chunk to the ladies. That’ll keep them bust for a couple days. Finally back up in the farmyard I threw my orange plastic pallet in the hauler and I was off for the elevator. Supplements loaded a tarp thrown over my load to keep the bags dry I come home again to drop the hauler so’s to take off again for the empty feed wagon.
Somewhere in here my Brother shows up. I’d been busy a couple hours already and he’s giving me the impression he’s going to take over, quizzing my all manner of questions? “You got this?” “You got that?” I didn’t appreciate his interference and told him so, “I got it under control.” My problem, and it is my problem, once I start something in my mind any interruption and I’m likely going to have trouble with my short time memory leaving an important step out. Damn-it, Once I’ve started something, leave me alone. He left. Thank God. The same God I have trouble believing in.
The grind was going straight enough until he come sneaking back. My used to to doing this grinding thing alone I have my methods of doing things. Like I’ve got a leftover stage brace I use for steering the first chute into loading place from the supply wagon into the grinder mixer. I had also mastered the use of that same brace lifting the wagon cover over the discharge chute to keep my grind dry on days like this. Yup her was watching. Then when I had taken to move the loaded feed wagon away being watched I fifth placed destroyed that feed wagon’s discharge chute almost beyond recognition running it into another tractor‘s tire. Arrggghhhh!!!!!. Sixthly, my backing the Leland and grinder back down to the barn I backed the grinder-mixer into the barn door damn near knocking the loading elevator right off the machine. Arrggghhhh!!!!! I just barely made the elevator’s pivoting attitude just right going back together. It could have been worse. Seventhly, I had done a fine job breaking the barn door. Arrggghhhh!!!!! Having enough of enough I hollered at my Brother to go home and leave me alone. He did so without argument. That was his best big help of the day. Meany-while, I’ll be ashamed of myself later!
No time to make a complicated fix to the barn door I beat it into submission with a big freaking sledge hammer to fit the barn opening so’s it’d close and lock tight. The chute on the other hand needed I wrenched with the help of a torque amplifier and beating on it with a small freaking hammer into at least a workable sick looking bit of an ugly chute. I’ll make with a couple better fixes another day when the weather’s drier than it is today. Right about then it was lunch time.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Lunch eatened I was going to take my chances working on Ugly. That was right up to the first discouraging pouring down rain. That settled that. I wasn’t gonna crawl under no ugly truck rain water running down the drive way washing my backside chilled to the bone while supporting three helpful cats sitting on my chest. I had had enough troubles for one day.
I took in-stead to finishing up my book. Some five hours later….. Halleluiah! It’s all finished! I find a wrapper. Take it to the post office to pay the freight. I want to get it out Monday, Tuesday, the latest to my publisher. I’ve got so much excitement coursing through my veins I’m feeling like a teenager again. Well, in mind anyway.
It’s if I can only find that one simple little cause causing Ugly to drive me nuts. Theeen there’s getting the Cushman re-powered with its engine strengthened. and what about if I can only find those few precious moments to finish the azzkicker containment vessel and set it out to work for its keep! And I need to find a little extra time to order or find those extra industrial parts, I don’t have, I need for Winter building the quadracycle.
Oh balderdash, For something lacking to busy me any more tonight, I’m turning in. BGKC.
Fernan

I been missing

Catching up won’t be easy. So sorry about your loss Dan. Loop may be managing an ART VAN Furniture outlet in the north woods. Mike’s kicking fledglings out of the nest. Bob’s washing down cake with booze. Gerrit’s another year older. Somebody’s keeping worms in her coffee while shop lifting. Rosie’s rightfully letting mike do all the work. Jim’s taking his Bug to blacksmith school to learn how to handle a bellows. Sid isn’t raising any dust. Zippy doesn’t know what he’s doing. Tac’s inventorying bridges for the straight and narrow. RP’s Jim is winding clocks, and a Kyote is helping him whine. Ron likes traffic. And mostly it ain’t easy catching up to the behind.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Now back to me. (conceited smile and laughing) So much has gone wrong this morning its been like being caught between a rock and a hard place. I’ve had nothing except bad luck all morning long. I feel as though I been caught on a flat rock getting bashed in some manner one way or another. Instead of Shorthorn country this morning I feel as though I had been living and doing it on flat rock, at flat rock. My morning had gone something like this.
First off it had rained last night. Secondly Barry had twice/thrice in last night’s conversation promised to be here this morn between 8:00 and 8:30 AM. Thirdly Barry neglected to show up. So forthly, I started my morning out on shanks mare. I had to have the WD45 brought home and the inverter removed. That taken care of I hooked onto wood hauler taking it out to the vicinity of the western pet cemetery to clean it out throwing the brush of sweeping the bark and dirt off. On my way back home again I checked fences and eventually had given the western most pasture chunk to the ladies. That’ll keep them bust for a couple days. Finally back up in the farmyard I threw my orange plastic pallet in the hauler and I was off for the elevator. Supplements loaded a tarp thrown over my load to keep the bags dry I come home again to drop the hauler so’s to take off again for the empty feed wagon.
Somewhere in here my Brother shows up. I’d been busy a couple hours already and he’s giving me the impression he’s going to take over, quizzing my all manner of questions? “You got this?” “You got that?” I didn’t appreciate his interference and told him so, “I got it under control.” My problem, and it is my problem, once I start something in my mind any interruption and I’m likely going to have trouble with my short time memory leaving an important step out. Damn-it, Once I’ve started something, leave me alone. He left. Thank God. The same God I have trouble believing in.
The grind was going straight enough until he come sneaking back. My used to to doing this grinding thing alone I have my methods of doing things. Like I’ve got a leftover stage brace I use for steering the first chute into loading place from the supply wagon into the grinder mixer. I had also mastered the use of that same brace lifting the wagon cover over the discharge chute to keep my grind dry on days like this. Yup her was watching. Then when I had taken to move the loaded feed wagon away being watched I fifth placed destroyed that feed wagon’s discharge chute almost beyond recognition running it into another tractor‘s tire. Arrggghhhh!!!!!. Sixthly, my backing the Leland and grinder back down to the barn I backed the grinder-mixer into the barn door damn near knocking the loading elevator right off the machine. Arrggghhhh!!!!! I just barely made the elevator’s pivoting attitude just right going back together. It could have been worse. Seventhly, I had done a fine job breaking the barn door. Arrggghhhh!!!!! Having enough of enough I hollered at my Brother to go home and leave me alone. He did so without argument. That was his best big help of the day. Meany-while, I’ll be ashamed of myself later!
No time to make a complicated fix to the barn door I beat it into submission with a big freaking sledge hammer to fit the barn opening so’s it’d close and lock tight. The chute on the other hand needed I wrenched with the help of a torque amplifier and beating on it with a small freaking hammer into at least a workable sick looking bit of an ugly chute. I’ll make with a couple better fixes another day when the weather’s drier than it is today. Right about then it was lunch time.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Lunch eatened I was going to take my chances working on Ugly. That was right up to the first discouraging pouring down rain. That settled that. I wasn’t gonna crawl under no ugly truck rain water running down the drive way washing my backside chilled to the bone while supporting three helpful cats sitting on my chest. I had had enough troubles for one day.
I took in-stead to finishing up my book. Some five hours later….. Halleluiah! It’s all finished! I find a wrapper. Take it to the post office to pay the freight. I want to get it out Monday, Tuesday, the latest to my publisher. I’ve got so much excitement coursing through my veins I’m feeling like a teenager again. Well, in mind anyway.
It’s if I can only find that one simple little cause causing Ugly to drive me nuts. Theeen there’s getting the Cushman re-powered with its engine strengthened. and what about if I can only find those few precious moments to finish the azzkicker containment vessel and set it out to work for its keep! And I need to find a little extra time to order or find those extra industrial parts, I don’t have, I need for Winter building the quadracycle.
Oh balderdash, For something lacking to busy me any more tonight, I’m turning in. BGKC.
Fernan

8-20-2010 The Day After

Yesterday was one of the fullest I’ve recently had. Even over full maybe? It’s the morning after and I’m sitting here relaxing for a few moments thinking about what I have to do, need to do, can do, want to do, and the recurring thought I had lost a tractor leaving it where I found I’d parked it. Yup, my mind is obviously slipping. No doubt about it.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The house closed up against the outside dampness; my eyes are itching and watering, my nose is running and I feel as if I could easily sneeze my head off. What, what is this? Nose tissues stand no chance of lasting long here!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Coming out of the house the cussed Ugly truck refused to start for me again. Even trying my under dash wires nothing good happened. Aggravated no end, I calmly put the small charger on it. Then went to farm work shop on the Polaris Ranger.
Once there I finally pressed the timing gear off the old Cushman crank and commenced to put it on the new crank. Of all the dumb stunts I damaged the shiny brand new Cushman crank. Bro’ looking at it found a solution, so the damage may be taken care with some more careful proper handling. Whew!!!!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Bro’ bringing me home for lunch and then drifting off someplace to pick up equipment parts and/or materials I commenced to participate in his making me endure the wait game. A phone call coming in, from Sue, I was offered a ride anyplace I needed to go so long as it was to see Doc for his follow up exam my eye. Pleased with his work he and I had missed proper etiquette, bid me good bye. You think that was easy? Think again, myself being amiss, with proper introductions. Sue introduced herself to Doc as my Mistress. That near folded him up he knowing better, but he enjoyed the laugh. };^)) Sheesh! Hard as I try to get in and out of his office. Just lately he’s almost replaced his whole office staff. Thankfully he's kept the same ol' office manager, his wife. As the rest; I've not gotten these three new ladies in my pocket yet. Could be an up hill trek one of them. While in a friendly manner, One, she has it in for me where I’m concerned. Waiting my turn these gals paying no attention to keeping appointments, they wasted two and one half hours my valuable time this haying time of year. This irks me! Reprogramming these new girls I’m getting nowhere along with no hand holding.
Finally under way we stopped by a rural auto parts place for me a heavy duty toggle switch and a starter button. I gotta do something even if its wrong.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Oh how I do like timely requests, like this afternoon somebody told me they had needed another one of my grinds at least two days ago. I’m considering the whole day a wasted bit of time without my wheels and the all manner of “It’s your fault!” suggestions becoming more than monotonous to my callused ears day after day.
One more thing I need to do is write myself out a Cushman parts list to stuff in my pocket for next times offered ride offer, “Can I take you anywhere?” How does one measure a fan belt? Another thing, as hard as it is to put the starter in or take out of that Cushman motor, should I have the starter overhauled?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I think I may have to bale hay tomorrow. Enough at that to keep me busy for hours. I found out who broke the Ford loader-backhoe. That machines status is a troubling one.
Eyes getting back to normal it already nearing bed time an sleep it seems is one of my less damaging pursuits. BGKC.
Fernan

8-19-2010 I’s don’t have it

Morning:
I tried reading some the E-net. That’s no good. Left eye waters for the right eye’s discomfort. I put in the drops as directed and put on the self thought up black patch. That patch is my present salvation getting anything done out side. Eye’s hurt both eyes open exposed to sunlight.
So, I guess the best I can do is the few minutes I write this to keep up my journal up to date even if it should only accrue in my own mind, and save myself for my outside adventures. Now, that mouth full said.
This written under the duress of listening to Herr Mostess as I put down my thoughts before they’re lost forever wasn’t easy. :^)) And, was she wound up this morning. :^)) That’s what I get havin’ slept in, or longer than usual. I got to call this quits, get outside and make fix the loader tractor.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Noonish:
Got so damned hot this morning my patched eye felt as if it went deep sea swimming without a sea swim mask.
It took us all morning to rebuild the JD’s hydraulic cylinder, an hour and a half alone for the last snap ring. Well, I’ve had a cold lunch, a quart of tea, some of that to go, and a whole chunk of Boston Brown Bread all to myself. (YUM!) Oh yeah, first thing first, I remembered my noon eye drops today! Now its more than time enough already, I be getting off it and on’em.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Evening:
What an afternoon. My finally putting the JD together with brother towards the end no help breathing down my neck. We also finally got around to hauling in the hay and wrapping it. Hallelululuiah! The first load loaded Raymond took off leaving me to mow more Sudex. While I was ripping up and down the field at 6 ½ mi/hr. He’d manage to corral Chip to drive his truck about the field while he loaded Trailer. I knew I shouldn’t have done it. I know it true. I’ll be punished Saturday having to bale all that I had cut today in one sitting. If that won’t be enough punishment I’m looking foreword to cutting alfalfa tomorrow. By more than time enough I quit my mowing Raymond and Chip finally made it back for the next load. By that time we were getting well dampened under a bit of rain.
Myself the third wheel Chip excused himself as we approached the hay-yard leaving us brothers to handle the rest of it ourselves. One more load brought back, it started to rain, raining hard enough wrapping any more silage (haylage) was out of the question. A couple misshapened bales I had rolled we were to feed these out to the girls that end and the ladies here. Bro’ says to me, “I’ll take this lopsided bale up to feed it out. All you got to do is open and close the gate.“ I could handle it. His having a head start I had to run the length of the hay-yard to turn my unit around. And here it come. A driven wind blown rain so hard I had to stop for I couldn’t see where I was going. Wipers going full tilt I picked my route through the unwrapped bales he’d unloaded to one side and the chassis of another potential hay wagon a-waiting our attentions on the other. Goodness gracious the rains were coming down with a solid tropical splendor. Making with a dash no-less from open truck door to gate latch I was soaked to the skin. Ducking for cover in truck was a waste of time There was no way I could stay drier. I was so wet, when I made my second dash to re-close that gate the first soaking was cascading to earth’s riverlets so my clothing could take a re-soaking second time. What the heck, by the time Raymond took me home myself dripping wet there was no need to hurry. Either way I wasn’t going to get any wetter of drier, I just plainly climbed aboard an Oliver an took my feeding out bale off the trailer and fed it.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
It weren’t done yet. Nor was I done yet. Coming down my road we’d had a wind whipping through our neighborhood just before we got there. A big chunk of tree had come down lain out the length of the tenant farm driveway. Luckily it had missed the fence and the house. Just beyond my own place, a mulberry tree from my side of the road’s fence line had come down blocking the road. The neighbor across the road got his four wheeler onto it before traffic started detouring across his lawn. I’m so glad he took it in. When it’s cut up it’ll still take three years seasoning for useful firewood. ;^))
About here in time I remembered I hadn’t taken care of a hay moisture testing instrument. Touchy things one daren’t let one get wet for it screws them up every time. Where did I leave it. I jumped in Ugly and headed down the road. Ugly started acting up instead of stopping I tried putting a pair of jumper wires together under the dash. I didn’t make it. While I had fussed with the wires Ugly had drifted off the road a bit and quit, never to run again today. I got me a ride from a passer by to go looking for moisture tester for saving it. Driving a couple miles I found I had lost the damn tractor and baler? ARGH! Turning around heading back for home, I saw it right where I had used it last. Stopping the utility vehicle mid -road (nobody coming) I dashed for the lost tractor and retrieved the moisture tester. Luckily the rains had blown over the tractor and the tool box the tester had been almost completely covered in. The same good Samaritan giving me the ride also helped me bring Ugly home. My driving an Oliver tractor he steering the cussed truck backwards all the way.
Supper was hamburger steak, smashed tators, a green vegetable I ain’t supposed to have, and musk melon. Now it’s my doing laundry most the evening’s last. As I‘m writing the first load‘s washed and dried, second and third loads are in washer and dryer..
Oh yeah, just before running about for the last two adventures I had shed my eye patch. Feels good using that eye again. I expect what fuzziness in my right eye, I’m experiencing for both, will even out and be gone by morning. That’s not all, I have to fit in a command appearance in Doc’s office sometime tomorrow. If farming was ever boring, I ain’t ever seen it!!!!!!! Damn! I like my Job! BGKC.
Fernan

8-18-2010 “Happy Birthday Brother!”

For a half assed family Holiday
The I’s have it. I slept good last night. My eye and the area around fells so tender. I’m now just letting nature take its course in healing. I’ve already experienced my first wrestling match opening what feels like one sore eye lid for my day’s first eye drops. For all the vegetation taken out of my eye using my work and living area’s genre my feels as if Doc had used rototiller loosing it. :^))
I still haven’t made up my mind what I’m going to do today. So Many Choices what requiring done. Arrggghhhh!!!!! There’re no day’s off on a farm. Personally, I’d like to nap out this visual aggravation.
A few minutes more and I may breakfast and hit the outdoor’s day head on. Please Mr. Custard I really don’t want to go. One task sure! I don’t feel like crawling under the overhead dirt covered mower-conditioner to replace the skid plates. I also don’t feel like replacing the Hydraulic hose on the same machine‘s PTO driven hydraulic pump.*
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
In neighborhood passings there’s been a couple/three more foreclosures.
I’m sorrily disappointed in one interviewed individual, on TV, who’s got a good job out of these foreclosures, hired to go house to house to clean, and otherwise spiff up these house for resale. It’s all so sickening, disheartening.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Hmmm. For shop sit down job, rather than pulling that gear of the crankshaft maybe I can push the crankshaft out of that gear. Well it’s an idea anyway as compared to what needs doing out side.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Oh Oh! Doc said no TV for a couple three days. He likely meant this thing also…. (grrr) So what? I cheat! Bye…
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
What a screwed up day. And it doesn’t help when a lendee does an incredibly dirty deed to you and say nothing about it let alone making it right. They just had to borrow the Ford loader-backhoe. I advised against it, but off it went anyway. I had also warned the boss as to what might surely happen. Having to put the mower-conditioner back together this morning cause it was blocking the way to the far end’s hay-yard. *Yup, I did it anyway. That finally taken care of and my taking it down the road to park it out of the way, we could finally get around to finishing the hauling and wrapping the hay I had work last night. Raymond with Chip’s help loaded out a first load. While they were gone I had to have the loader tractor to feed these guys out here. On my way home one of the loader’s hydraulic cylinders blew a seal. Okay we’ll go get the ford for my feeding needs. That’s when we discovered the machine was carelessly parked listing badly off the top of a hole one side of it was in with a flat driver tire. It’s all I can do to contain myself hanging on to my cool. To have said nothing nor done nothing, I’m livid. May the spirits of Justice calm me down. Such a low down dirty trick bugging us to borrow the machine and then not only carelessly but also thoughtlessly in such a low manner.
Near hurting There was one more tractor left. Both of us prepared to find ourselves in tinkering doo-doo. I for one was pleasantly surprised to have the old 1850 gasser started right up without hesitation for me. I had checked the oil, walked about the tractor looking for leaks, and gassed it up for it still had the old high lift fixed to it’s three point lift. Just goes to show you an enterprise just plainly can’t have to many Olivers around. My ladies have been fed.
While Raymond checked the parts book, found he had to have this JD’s loader serial number for correct parts I was, my unknowing it off or the parts a half day’s journey from here the only JD dealer to have such needed parts in this corner of the state, I commenced to remove the cylinder. Fun, fun, fun, I needed a couple things from the shop: a heavy sized brass punch, a hardened ¼” punch, and off all things I grabbed for a rust penetrant I picked up WD40. Surprise, it worked and worked well. The cylinder lies resting in Ugly’s cargo box as I write.
So much going on today I’ve lost tract. You might like this one. It was for another thing, my eye so uncomfortable I wanted an eye patch to cover it up shield it from the hard light, the annoying fuzzy gray sight in front of it, unable to find one over at the Crossroads, I gave up. I wasn’t feeling up to even a partial par to drive into a Flint suburb. Raymond understanding my discomfort took off and returned with a patch. Under cover me and my eye are much happier. My working in the light of a sunny day, my I tagging alone sleeping behind it’s patch. I understand the patch could have been purchased cheaper had I gotten the whole outfit, my Maties. BGKC.
Fernan
PS: I’ve put my check in the mail to a foreign country for my much needed AC hay-rake manual. Wow! The postage was something else.

Tuesday, August 17, 2010

Missing in action

Do to an eye injury I may not be seen around here the next few days.
Thankfully it wasn't the good eye.
For now I hope I may do what most importantly needs doing.
Later....
Fernan

Monday, August 16, 2010

Busy fun filled day

In the shop early, I try taking a timing gear off the old Cushman crankshaft, only to destroy my one and only gear puller sized for just such a task. Balderdash!
Cushman parts Photobucket
I turned to taking some more of the mower-conditioner apart for ease of welding needed repairs. To remove some stubborn nuts and bolts I ground and chiseled some, some more I used the blue tipped torch to cut them off. A good time was had by all, me!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The M-C taken apart the parts awaiting individual fixing I turned to Ugly’s refueling problem. I single sheet of card board rather than the customary corrugated kind. I thought it good giving me more room to work under truck.
Ugly preparations Photobucket
Here gathered all the tools I thought I’d need I laid them out before sliding down under. Once I had slid under Ugly I found if I were to shorten the vertical height of the vertical part of the rubber fill tubing I’d be smaller in diameter. I could see I’d never get the hose back onto the gas-tank neck. I immediately went to the ever standard all American standard plan “B.” A few moments later problem solved I had slipped a 2 ½” x 3” x 8” hardwood block between the truck bed and the fill tube lowering that fill tubes entry for gassing Ugly.
Finished modification Photobucket
How’s this for a “Red Neck” repair.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
A full fun filled morning coming to a close, I had to go home for keeping Frieda’s medical appointment with a lung specialist. A neighbor taking us, starting out early we had arrived right on time. Filling out pages and pages, telling it a tech, re-answering all the questions we had answered on those pages. Doc gave her a sample product with instructions to use to it’s end. Plus he’d written her another script she wanted me to pick up. Only it wont be there until tomorrow.
Now, why the heck couldn’t the drug store call and tell us that instead of my wasting my time and gasoline to go all the way over there to get nothing for it!!! (grrrr)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Whooppee! I’ve got all manner of parts to put back together and make fix the M-C. Got that to do as well as bale the sudex I had cut yesterday. If I’ve time mow some more hay somewhere. Gosh and I’d like to get some ime in on that damnable stubborn gear on old crankshaft. BGKC.
Fernan

Sunday, August 15, 2010

Sunday what’s its

TGIF…err…Sunday. I don’t have to get my trash gift wrapped and out tonight. It’s quarter of six and my morning’s get up and go has done gone bye-bye and went!
Parked Ugly in front of shop to cool down after drive there. Have almost completely taken the Cushman engine apart. I remover the old crank timing gear from old crank to the new crank and reassembly will have started. Almost everything is washed. Now wondering if I should maybe find an old laundry tub for soap and water washing up all my Cushman’s parts. It is one way sure to remove all the grit and dirt that accumulates where it can’t be seen, then rinse and blow dry. Final cleaning, whipping done all parts with super clean rags using a lacquer thinner cleanser. Okay, I took the crank case apart this morning.
Cushman worked on I turned some my morning’s time towards Ugly adding more wires under the hood and dash. Now when I climb in my leaning over to my right I look like a lost two-bit hoodlum hot wiring a derelict truck. Can’t wait until a cop sees me doing this seeking an explanation as to what I’m doing and can I prove it?
Frieda ain’t’ preparing nothen it was what I could easily find what wasn’t moving in the icebox to eat; a piece of musk melon, a cold dog stuck inside drying bun, and a quart of cold tea. So much to do I was off. I had to grind today, when that was finished it was delivered. Then it was off next door to retrieve my fence stretcher I had left in the fence. I also picked up some more tools I had forgotten I used. Through some of my day Barry joined me for a little bit easing some my lifting burdens for me. And he was company also driving and wiring into this fence a couple driven new posts.
Morning duties caught up between two and three I hit the alfalfa field with the old mower-conditioner finishing its mowing with eight rounds. From there I took the newer rotary conditioner some miles north and a little west to break in another Sudex field. I hit this one with eight rounds giving me plenty room on head lands for turn a-rounds. Leaving that field rode the Polaris Ranger Barry had brought out for me. On my way home I check on another Sudex field. And when I was back in my neighborhood I checked on tomorrow’s ride into the city for another Frieda’s medical appointments. Home I put Ranger in barn in the Cushman’s place. Wait until the Cushman hears about this?! Bottom line I was pooooooped. I’d had enough of this day. TGIS, I don’t have to handle any trash tonight. Cussed Ugly still unreliable. This late in the day I passed on going after another load of hay. Besides, enough is enough, even if under more pleasant circumstances it is a scenic drive. I wonder if I might get Doc to prescribe me a whole gallon that steroid stuff for s wee bit more muscle, and maybe a barrel some kind-a energizing go juice. BGKC.
Fernan

Saturday, August 14, 2010

N0 plan needed

Just to keep life interesting some cows went out for a walk at dusk last might. Their adventures curtailed by a neighbor, they were shown the error for their ways along with their way back., Back home where they belonged I temporaried the fence I had to fix today. I also have to make that alternative wire harness for Ugly, and haul hay home over the next couple rainy days. Then we’re supposed to have four or five dry days all in a row. I’ll make those days some serious hay making days.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Took some more of the Cushman engine apart this AM right up until It required another power washing for removing the bolts to next split the crankcase. When I had enough of that I moved on.
Foretold I’ll have to grind again tomorrow I brought supplements home from the elevator. And, had a make shift lunch raiding the icebox for some of this’n’that munchables. Then I was on my way to make a second fix on that property line fence. Darn it, dumb me Looking over Ugly’s cargo ox this evening I didn’t see the fence stretcher. I know where I left it. Right in the fence. Oh well, I pick up the bigger fence post driver come morning I’ve a couple more fence posts to drive anyway. I take it out of the fence than. Besides I’m thinking I’m, only good for a couple driven fence post’s a day.
I hit the road today Ugly wonder of wonders drove easily today. I managed to bring home two loads. I’d have gone for one more load had ugly not gotten notional. I don’t want to be out after dark with a stubborn truck. The hay-yard looking healthier here I called it a day. I was tired anyway. I did my chores here and just down the road. That was it, took my rattlers and relaxed a couple hours for supper. Fro some reason I’m feeling hungry. A half a musk melon a cold hotdog and three cookies may no been enough lunch., ya think?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Going on 6:00 PM, I’m feeling over heated, slimy, and wrung out, not to mention brain dead. Now I’m more than ready for a nap.
Supposed to rain today. Got a few drops off and on all day wetting nothing and not enough to even clean the windshield let alone streak it. An inch of rain about 25 miles north of us compared to our categoried zip. BGKC.
Fernan

Friday, August 13, 2010

Friday the 13th

Friday the 13th was always one of the year’s four best shopping days according to my Mom’s pleasurable early morning bargaining days in the Jewish community. ANDS, should a black cat should cross her path she declared her power shopping luck would most defiantly have doubled. Oh the agony of my feet keeping up with her demands we shop every Jewish shop before the morning’s first shopping hour has passed. She was determined to be the very first shopper in each and every shop she so desired where in she had wished to do business. She’d chatter on about the day’s date every shop she entered and then countered offer her spending price upon any article she so desired.
It had happened two things had likely come to pass. One, some of these people if not superstitious they were of the minds they’d might better not take any chances. Two, shop keepers entire business day could finish at a loss if the first potential customer left the shop without buying something. And my Mom knew exactly what that item were to be for it were already set in her mind. Entire/
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I slept like a log last night a clear indication I must have had a very busy, and in this case, busy day. Now upon waking up I’ve a most profound need to consult the weather imaginerees as to the next few days meteorically activities. It’s sure what every they predict it’ll all happen wrong.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
As it worked out, not sure of the weather I went back to work on disassembling Cushman engine. In spite of my pressure washing the engine alone, as I removed each part I found more and more oily sand and vegetation packed between every last part and the next one I removed. Gosh what a mess. It had not been long and that poor engine would have had some serious cooling problems. Looks Like some changes are going to be made.
Wanted to haul home a couple more distanced hay balings. Raymond objected to my chancing Ugly’s ability to get there and back on its own. Oh Fudge! Okay, looks like I’ll be bellying Ugly up to the shop door come morning and construct (install) another independent backup three wire wiring harness to handle starter‘s working and hot wiring the distributor. Holy Smokes, this reads like I might have done this before? {:^))
His trailer unloaded the flat rake replaced with the livestock trailer I loaded a bull on that trailer for Raymond. It is good seeing this one having gotten a job to do, as it should be. Oh yeah just over the other side the county this one.
And, as the afternoon was wearing on I took some more of the Cushman engine apart. This engine so different from almost all I’ve ever worked (or overhauled) I’m paying very close attention to how it is coming apart. Then when taken apart there’ll be a period of time invested in cleaning each and every part large and small. It is the small parts that will worry me most. I was doing my darndest to remove all the needed studs required to reassemble all the new parts. I did alright too until I belatedly enviably hit my invisible wall. My brain had shut gown, become muddled, heat was finally getting to me, and my lungs were hurting like Hell. Something else, I have not had a smoke for five days now. Still got my rolling tobacco supply so there’s no need my go looking for what I don’t want. My new preferred chemical abusive substance is one of them 12oz can’s Faygo Root Beer. (smiles) BGKC.
Fernan
PS: Oh and I say, If any of the preceding has been repeated by myself, I am entitled as a distinguished old phart.

Thursday, August 12, 2010

was gonna be busy day

We both slept thru the nites thunder-boomers. I particularly so suffering one cramp just before retiring I took a valium to head them off at the pass.
Have plenty to do today. Haul in last evening’s baling and wrapping, and of course I’ve got the Cushman to play with for a rainy day’s entertainment.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Right turn out of the drive I stopped off in hay field for an eight bale load Sudex. Receiving about an inch of rain last night the barnyard creek was full. The hay field greasy had to use the loading tractor to take the loaded wagon all the way out on the road. Arriving the hay-yard vicinity the other end, nobody around. (hehe) I found something else to do. Might say …….
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
….knowing the ropes I removed the Cushman’s engine.
Photobucket
To take it out I first had to remove the drive shaft, three speed manual transmission, and grind off former required bracket that had some use when the Yamaha end of the machine needed it for another electric car use. Once I got the engine freed of the chassis I parked it on a barrel until I could get back to it. One thing sure it’ll see some more high pressure washing.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Raymond finally showed up sporting a fresh hair cut. With his arrival we commenced to do something with the wet hay. It had to be wrapped. Two loads wrapped, a third loaded, and somebody making a spur of the moment appointment I had to take Frieda to our Doctor’s office for her toenail clippings. Her limb imaging reports back her veins are good. An Alzheimer’s test and she was good to go again. Returning home I was back into loading and hauling in the last wet sudex silage.
Somewhere in these last couple hours I made a double set wires jumper harness for next time Ugly’s temperamental. If Ugly then goes under temporary wiring we’ll know where the problem is.
Then doing one more thing I brought the Cushman’s power plant outside the shop and pressure washed so the next time I look at it I’ll have an idea what I’m either looking at or taking apart.
Glory be! With all my activity today I managed to only to forget to take my evening rattlers. And fortunately I may still start the laundry while I wait my pre-supper hour. Not feeling like a beer I’m thinking my palate could go for a long-tall quart iced tea. Yeah! Iced Tea! Now, there’s my thirst clincher.
I had said it "was going to be busy day." It was! BGKC.
Fernan

BGKC.
Fernan

Wednesday, August 11, 2010

wore four hats today

First thing out of the house I had to practice my animal husbandry sneaking my way around the ladies. Ugly behaving well enough I didn’t feel like kicking it today. I changed the gates, rode fence, made a couple insulator repairs, and changed dead wires over to live. Then approached the ladies to let them know I’d made a change over for them. What I get? A lot of bawling and bellowing the lot of them to lazy to take my word for it and look for themselves. Other things to do I left them to figure it all out for themselves. And, when they do, do I get any credit for it? (haaa!) Might as well forget that!
Next in my travel plans I hit the shop with a determination to get something done on the Cushman. Yeah right. A friend’s screw-up some eleven years ago changing my Cushman’s design lay out had moved a mutually beneficially shared cross member used to join the original salvages Cushman’s back two-thirds with a Yamaha’s front two-thirds golf cart. He took it upon himself to move that cross member back two lousy inches. Them’s two inches are enough I can’t readily remove the Cushman’s OMC engine from the chassis being caught between two structurally important cross members. Crap! I’ll figure something out.
Meanwhile, here’s the Cushman just a hanging around in the shop just aching for attention.
Photobucket
Sometime, in the midst of my poking around in the Cushman’s innards I had taken a break to have stepped aside to move that hay wagon with the two bad tires down in front of the shop. When I had finally given up of the Cushman and Ugly’s problems for the day I pulled a troubled tire’s rim off that wagon. Then commenced to change it. As warm and muggy as it was becoming I had settled for changing one tire today. And, that is just what I had done.
Rain clouds having stalled over Lake Michigan to pick up more moisture, that cloud eventually headed our way. With a need I got underway with the hay wagon, up on all four shoes, headed for a belated lunch. By 2:00 O’clock I was a-field with baler rolling heavy round Sudex bales finishing them at about 5:00 PM. I had but one new task before me. I had to sneakily haul away one baled mistake. Thought was I might just as well take an eight bale load of dry bales home with me at the same time. Once under way my thoughts were again of the ladies helping me out disposing of or hiding my mistakenly wrongly made silage bale. (to big to put through the bale wrapper)
It was just as I was taking the last dry hay bale off the wagon, it was here what came the rains with gusto pouring steadily harder all the time, And ugly was down the road parked in that hay field with it’s windows open. Haaa! Not a single soul had volunteered to go out and close my windows. So it was when I had parked the 4020 JD I stepped down, walked over to Ugly’s driver’s door, climbing in and I got a wet ass sliding into the seats accumulating dished like puddle. Oh the agony of the wet seat!
Home by ten of six, I had had enough of the outside world. Between lame legs, complaining knees, tricky hips, dizzying walks, between machines and varied tasks, I could with a clear conscience call my day. On entering home I wanted a tall tea. So, for meself I made a tall cold tea, a quart’s full measure worth. Ohhh! It was so good. It made me my tea’ thirty.
Here’s a field line up of this season’s haying equipment.
Photobucket *
Left to right The 4020G JD loader equipped, next the Allis Chalmers WD45 with a new Holland crop inverter, Ugly of course with hay wagon in tow. After Ugly sits an 1850 Shultz Ollie with the 1345 Hesston rotary conditioner. Just this side the last described combination sit’s a 4010D JD with a 1400 Hesston Mower-conditioner. And far right last but not least the Indy 1850 Ollie with the Vermeer 445 silage hay baler. Ho boy! Have we got a sandbox full of toys to play with. Yaba dab-a doo. BGKC.
Fernan
*To see the whole wide angle photograph left click you mouse for the whole picture.

8-10-2010 Nite rain

It rained all night the last night we slept. We’d taken our turn walk the house once. We moved our waters. Then I slept again, She stayed up. The deck had remained wet each time I looked. She had entertained the cat. There’d been no silly dreams on either our parts. It had been a good night for sleeping.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
For more yesterday’s farm scene news leave to our own to entertain drop ins. She’d broken a wire, a wire so rusty, when I tried to fix it, it discinigated (fell apart) in my hands requiring a total new replacement. She was one more of the four visitors we’d had during the last couple weeks. The same four who had taken us for that cross country hiked scenic tour. (smiles) Animals are so entertaining.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I’ve plenty to do today. So much so I’m near beside myself as to what to do first, which also include a couple things I want to do for myself. I need to cut additional hay, I want to finish solving Ugly’s ability to run properly. I want to get started on the Cushman’s modifying overhaul starting with a high pressure wash to locate the engine hidden under at least nine years dirt. Hmmm, I just might be able to slip in a power wash while waiting the fields to dry….Opps, oh crap, I’ve got four wagon tires to change. (sihn) I’m so glad I’m needed?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
8-11-2010 Catch up
Opps or Okay, I didn’t finish this last night. I wore myself out again. Been doing a lot of that lately. Mt yesterday’s hay cut is in jeopardy the weather wizards changing their minds again, something they are exceptionally good at. Today and tomorrow’s good weather has been changed to thunder storms for both days. And I’ve such a long ways (haying) to go.
Starting out either in or under the morning’s heavy fog I took the Cushman to the shop, high pressure washed it, pushed it inside the shop to drip dry, removed the battery and whatever I might have done with it after that I’d gotten wet sure. The sun showing up, burning the fog off, the grasses appearing to be slowly drying off, I could head for home. Only I had no ride. Oh well, being another hour or so the grasses drying I took to walking. Raymond had taken some livestock to the livestock exchange. Being alone and on my own my walk home started with a first step. The first leg was easy once I topped the grade east. Then it was the long downhill walk’s gravity taking over making the down hill stepping easy. When I reached the Butternut Creek bridge it were a welcome shady place to lean on the railing and watch the water easily flowing by. The creek was doing better than I was I was only just getting started with a mile and three quarter to go. Continuing on along on my shanks mare I stopped every now and then taking up a serious responsibility steadying a number of mailboxes along my way. By and by I was approaching the Loopy Acres Estates a hobo’s good stop for a coffee hand out over the years. So, I called ahead. The door was open. A few moments later Scooby Doo seeing me just a started talking to me. Excitement in his voice he greeted me, was glad to see me, and I had better be stopping to give him a good petting, scratching and a pat on his back side. Isn’t it something of a phenomena, pets, kids, cows, and wives all like an endearing pat on the backside. {:^) The coffee was delicious. Just the stimulant I needed for my continued way home. Only Miss Loopy insisted she give me a ride the rest of my way. And she did to in such real class n her new S-10 pckup even driving so far as to deliver me on the over end my gravel (dirt) road.
Ugly continues to act up. After an early spur of the moment lunch Frieda wanting her spur of the moment hair cut. I took her to her hair dresser. While I waited, leaving her behind I used the time to get into some real taking much more of the Cushman apart.
Her hair cut when she’d called, to my bringing her home, my not handily seeing the ladies we took a drive out back. Ah yes we found them about as far away from their barnyard as they could get. Turning around coming back up to the farmyard, ugly had quit running just inside the west sides near pasture gate. Having to abandon Ugly I walked Frieda back up to the house, my wondering if she were going to make it without a wheel-burro ride. Ugly abandoned sure, I walked done the road and finished cutting the Sudex under the weather comedians suggested two good days…..I could get it baled and off the fields.
The Fields cut no ride home I walked it again. Had a soda break, called Bro’ speaking of my Ugly’s problem. He was on his way. We’ll tow Ugly to the shop and look into it there where we’ve the tools, materials, and more the where for alls to work with. On his arrival I threw the tow strap out. Was about to pin it to his hitch and decided to try Ugly one more time. The %9$4A_ho^&*(& engaged in starting. I still haven’t given up the thought of murdering the mechanical beast.
Ugly running parked on shop apron I looked for the instruments and jumper wires for Ugly’s next time. It was running now. Bro’ took to poking at Ugly under the hood. I readied the engine to come out of the Cushman. This alternative activity giving me time to think. DUH!
What’s Ugly’s problem…..is it this what’s making Ugly so damned cantankerous? Maybe a bad ignition switch down under on the steering column, way down there under the dash? A place I can no long twist my body into, even just to see the fuse block let alone service the fuses. How about a bare wire shorting out somewhere, or perhaps a broken wire opening up at the most in opportune times. Arrggghhhh!!!!!
The last thing I did, just managing to hang in here, I wrote Jack a three part apology over my behavior the last couple weeks and emailed him.
AND, this the way it has been in my corner of Shorthorn country. BGKC.
Fernan
PS: Frieda's feeling much better for and about herself this morning.

Monday, August 9, 2010

Humid kind

No dew here this morning. As near a sure Mother Nature’s sign it’ll rain today as a body may see.
Waiting out my rattlers for breakfast I’ll shortly be off and running. I’ll be making hay baling what I may before it rains here. Ah yes, the joys of farming. Truth is, we need the rain, provided it is worthwhile. The pastures can sure use an H2O
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
One more observation…..
Darn it when I was needing my eye glasses yesterday I reached for and put them on. For hours I had thought my sight was seriously failing, my blaming my short sight condition up on mistakenly missed taking my rattling medication the evening before. Oh, the Saints have preserved me, my finding I was using Frieda’s cheaters yesterday. They fit her better this morning than they have for some time. Trying as I may-ed all day yesterday I had to continually adjust the bows until they stayed upon my ears without swinging wide and falling off my face. Whew, wonderfully my sight has been saved…….
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Lawdy, lawdy, it’s 2:00 PM, I been baling hay since 8:00 AM. First the Sudex because wrapping it is the only way to preserve it tender and juicy. Rain threatening ever harder initiating some scattered rain drops for encouragement I also baled the alfalfa high in moisture content for haylage rather than taking a chance of loosing it to rain and mildew. Then there’s the hauling all this in and wrapping it. The second cell nearing it’s competition it be time to start another new one. A right after lunch activity. The only high volume hay wagon we’ve got has two tires loosing air. I guess its time to replace them all (in three sizes an three brands) for one brand same size dependable all the way around tires.
Then it was time to carry on, will wagon tires hold air long enough to deliver last four bales down the road. I’m gone again…..
….short on air I skipped loading the last four bales upon the only standard styled hay wagon. It’s parked now just yards from the shop where all the tire changing will take place.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Ready for a crazy animal story?
Katy an attractive bottled red head just down the road given found four orphaned raccoons discovered after the mother had been shot dead are alive, thriving, and doing well. Katy has the responding to her calls. All four of them named she knows which is which witch is beyond me. The banditoed four free each day the daylight hours they come called come in on their own each evening housed in their night time sleeping cage.
Yesterday the bred heifers and two cows with calves at foot gathered under the shade of a box-elder’s shade huddled for their common protection form flying insects. It had come to pass the baby raccoons feeling their oats snapped pieces of limbs, twigs, branches of the box-elder’s canopy and threw them down on the Heifers to not only get their attention but their goats well. When the raccoons did come down one particular bull calf his curiosity getting the best of him came forward to near nose to nose inspect one raccoon. What followed the raccoon ran, the calf right behind it for a ways. Then stopped short turning around another raccoon joining in the fun, two raccoons chased after that bull calf. This chasing each others went on for some time, including both calves and all four the raccoons, until all had become tired of the critter/varmint newly initiated sniff, run, chase and tag games.
Incredible the ability of domestic and wild animals getting on and playing together in the same yard.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Down the road after lunch Ugly started acting up. Grand! Missing and carrying on just as if it were out of gasoline. I switched tanks and made the shop’s farm yard. Knowing I might better gas Ugly the flat tired hay wagon behind I drive out on the road making only a couple hundred yards down the road. Curses! It walk back for a can of gas time.
While I was over to the crossroads gassing up I stopped by the supermarket for milk, pop and more pop, petroleum jelly for Frieda’s nose, and a couple other things. Then hit the filling station again for the other side’s saddle tank. I’m finding that tank only delivers a few gallons fuel (6 gallons this last time) and acts as thought it’s empty. Now here’s a head scratchier if I’ve ever created one?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The weather had been anything less than ideal today. The off and on sprinkles all day keeping my mind full if false doubts, if I may put it that-a-way? A pickup with a wide open cargo box has no place under cover to stow only so much, be it duds, tools, feed, groceries. Pickup gassed up twice stopping by the shop the bale wrapper required moving start and run another line. Started rain when we went back up the road four the last for bales. By time we go back the plastic wrap wet there was no point carrying on wet plastic don’t stick. Done, I come home. On arrival home, all depending whether Herr Clink likes her tator chips crispy, damp, or out and out soggy. She needed to dry some of her TV snacks depending how she liked’em. The best shower lasted about an hour forcing me inside by a 6:30 PM. Felt good to sit down knowing I was going to hustle some come bundle and packaging our trash for tomorrow’s pickup.
Specking of trash somebody dumped some along side the road going into the Sudex. Okay, I picked out a couple plastic bags. That was all. This morning there was a another third donation. Thinking about them I think I know from where they had come and I can just picture the goings on in that kitchen over this trash. Actually what had been dropped off were the uneatened corn shocks, cobs and some corn still on the cob cobs. I can just visualize grandma getting into her grandson’s minds asking where were the plastic bags they had carried the leaving out in had gone? I can’t help but smile and laugh within myself. She’s one neat freak kind of a lady one not to putting up with spreading trash.
When/after I baled these areas, come next winter a lady or two are going to find her kind of a corn candy treat. Heaven bless them.
Might know? The clock has sneakily slipped a quarter hour past my bed time. Good Night. BGKC.
Fernan

Sunday, August 8, 2010

A quiet Sunday morning

So darned busy yesterday had it been another warm summer day like we’d had last week I could have said I just returned from Hell after feeding the furnaces. Oh boy! What’ll I do with myself in the mean time? I’m sure destiny will provide me something to do. Ah yes. I could work some grease under my finger nails changing Ugly’s fuel pump and tightening up Ugly’s exhaust system. And would I lie? Of course not the a-who’s waited until I had let Ugly cool off for my working on it before telling me “I” need to grind. Anyway, those fixes done as best I could I remembered what day it was. Just ducky, being Sunday the elevator’s closed for supplements. That’ll mean dragging emergency supplements out of some barrels.
When I was near ready to do it, I called Keith to help. For coming along right away I opened the barn, got the Cushman out, opened up some more the barn to get at the barreled supplements and grinding machinery, I managed to move two wagons, go out check fences a half mile all the way to the back-back to front, I righted three insulators, re-looped the hot wires, then let the ladies out into that area, and their thinking they smarter than me they commenced to complain, and I drove away to let them figure it out. When Keith showed after all I done waiting for him I let him fuel the Leland, pull the supplements out of the barrels for him to put on the Cushman, then let him handle the grinder’s elevators and feed the supplements to the grinder. My supervision can be a heavy responsibility.
The gain ground and delivered I commenced to rake some hay today for baling tomorrow. As I was into making my second round, Murphy’s law intervened, something had gone wrong with my favorite AC hat-rake. It had either slipped a key, lost a dowel pin, break a shaft, or worse. It were time to park it. Not happy with either the Case-4-bar or the IH-5-bar both hard on alfalfa leaves I decided it was time to give the old New Holland inverter a crack at the alfalfa this afternoon. While it weren’t parked in a fence line I still had to hack and whack my way through weeds, trees, and grape vines having been busy using the machine for an arbor. Pulling it out into daylight and sunshine it looked just as good as the day I had parked where it was. I greased the zerks, oiled the chains, greased the spur gears, and found the machine’s own custom wrench and a junk screwdriver, and it and I was about away I go right after a gassed the WD45. All this sure did blow three hours of my day. By the time I had finished turning that hay over I was in no mood to hurry into some more cutting hay. It was just minutes after 8:00 PM and that was late enough, for I had laundry needing attention plus doing my cooking to handle if I were to eat after I got home.
So, it were another fun filled busy day rat here in my corner of Shorthorn country.
Now I’m desperately a needing a shop manual and parts pictures and lists for what I think might be a Model #7 PTO driven Allis Chalmers hay-rake. Likely manufacture late forty’s into the mid fifty’s.
Photobucket
BGKC.
Fernan

8-7-2010 Lost time - stupid is….

Day light I was loading, hauling and wrapping Sudex bales. Darned if the first loaded wagon had two low tires. Took two trips with air cans to fill them. Getting on lunch I stopped to eat. Then I figured, “It had been time enough that alfalfa had got to be dry enough today to bale.” I rolled a bale. Moisture checked it and it was still 24% up to 35% moisture content as it was the day before. Son of a gun. I had sworn to myself this alfalfa was going to be baled today. It was time to go look for the Allis Chalmers WD45 and hay-rake. Put together it were time I wore blisters on my Mm, Mm, Mmmph. And I did until I had attacked every acre I had cut and had waited rolled over. Three hours my derriere blister on the hot iron seat it hadn’t been long enough from beginning to end for the beginning ready for baling.
Raymond having joined me in the sand box had taken to mowing more Sudex. At least I didn’t have to get into that. Time on my hands I loaded three high moisture hay bales onto the implement trailer tagging after his pickup. I still figured, “It’ll be another hour before were dry enough for a dry bale.” Somehow knowing I was going to miss supper I continued figuring, “It were time I go home for a soda to tide me over until I were to catch up with a late supper at that.”
Stepping back out of the house I got a phone call. One I was to return after dark. I returned to field to bale. I rolled a bale, it cheeked roughly a low 18% to 20% for a high moisture content, I rolled another it also checked in the same parameters. They were perfect for Leaf hanging onto the steams baling. I was in alfalfa (clover) and eagerly took to my task at hand. Get this field baled before dark.
The 1850 Oliver with the Hydra-drive direct drive locked out of it was pain in the derriere drive this day, especially with three two sharp down grades. The Hydra transmission locked in low is a free wheeling down hill ride, and one to be reckoned with.
The heavier hay areas I baled in 3rd gear, lighter areas in 5th gear for a couple rounds until I settle into forth gear for all except the down grades and those I shifted back down into 3rd for on over the top start on their down hill runs at them. Fun, fun, fun.
Was getting onto dusk when I pulled back into my yard. I checked on the ladies whereabouts and the fences workings before coming into house. I wanted a beer while. While I took a couple stiff swigs. I also contemplated the aromas coming from the kitchen. Frieda had outdone herself today putting together an all fresh garden vegetable venison stew. Between sundown, a beer, and a belly satisfying supper I was out like a light. And an Opps! Sorry Jack, as I never made that return phone call.
So this writing is a day late, but not so late to answer the “stupid is…..” Part of the way through my hay baling knowing I’d better take my medications I searched my pocket for my prepacked days pills. I found two empty pill bottles. Two, mmm? I thought I must have taken them and gave them no further thought, discovering the pills in another pill bottle only this very next morning it's….stupid does. BGKC.
Fernan

Friday, August 6, 2010

Exasperated…..

….flustered, aggravated, and just plain thoroughly pi$$ed off. I’ve written rewritten several posts and threads over the last week only to have them knocked off into cyber space. I’m mad, foaming at the mouth even. Am I the only one experiencing this punishment? It wouldn’t be so bad but I only hang out on two chat forums and one tractor board. I enjoy my 'putor, my cyber friends looking in when and where I can during the warm weather seasons. I’ve got things to do, things to keep up, things to check, I’m almost a slave to my environment. I don’t need these treatments. Thanks for reading. (grr)
I can’t believe this. I’ve just had an email I was composing changed. Arrggghhhh!!!!! What the “Hell” is going on? Am I the only person this phenomena is happening too.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The left turn out the driveway I picked up my Ugly’s parts. Parked Ugly to the shop door, opened the hood to let it cool. I opened my many parts found the fuel pump’s instructions. I read them out of courtesy to the writer to find by either his way or mine to install the fuel pump an important gasket was missing. Well having a spare of my own, for I seldom ever throw anything away, we were alright. Raymond coming driving by tells me his clock has failed and gonna drive into Clio for a new one. Earlier I had asked him if he should be going to TSC kindly take me along as I was wearing my Sunday best and in dir need a couple more mew bibs. So we were off. Along the way I suggested we needed moor oil, he near ignored me. Okay, that was that. My butt dropped at TSC he went on to a near by “K”Mart. In TSC I filled a shopping cart. Along with the bibs, I got the oil he didn’t have time to stop for earlier, a couple bolts for an Oliver’s up front draw bar Raymond’s making, a humongous bag cat food, and fuel delivery hose for Ugly’s diesel tractor deliver tank. On the way home I got him to stop by a private saw miller I knew for some oil soaking saw dust for the shop floor. Raymond apprehensive to stop once we got there, found the proprietor, filled our trash can and then some with saw dust I had a heck of a time getting us back on the road. Raymond had known this man’s daughter-in-law, a looker in her time and perhaps still. Course her father-in-law suggested she may not look as good as she did as she’d put on a little weight. So, then the other two with stupid looks on their faces I chimed in with, “That’s good. She’s got the look of a well taken care of wife. (a laugh I can‘t help)
Getting back, our leaning on missing dinner, I excused myself to sanctify the hour once more. Before my lunch was over I called Raymond I was near done and waiting to hook him up for bringing home another load shelled corn. His taking what seemed forever to get here I put some things away out of the Cushman’s box. A day or so after I get Ugly straightened up, the Cushman’s overhaul will become priority one. Meanwhile Bro’ gone I took up baling Sudex. When I finished that I come home for my rattlers with a glass of milk and went back to start baling alfalfa. I rolled two bales. Moisture checked the second one and found the moisture content just a wee bit high. Curses, If I had had just a couple more afternoon drying time I could have baled until dark. Oh well, come 11:00 AM tomorrow I’ll be back after it.
Lets see, what else have I done today. Oh, I know, I lopped the head off a snake not knowing enough to keep its head down one of my mowing passes. This season’s cottontails can’t make their ear burdened minds up which way they should run or jump let alone hop out of the way click-ity-clack machine coming at them One thing’s sure, they sure enough know how to keep their heads down. BGKC.
Fernan

Thursday, August 5, 2010

I’m gonna bore…..

I’ve about reached my limit. Here how it goes under this writing. I participate on a couple chat boards during my farm summer, that’s it! When late Fall’s snows and Winter sets in I often broaden my chat forum participations. Face it, long Winter nights I’ve more evening play time. Okay! The first part of my rant out of the way here comes the gist of this rant.
I had taken up the key board into my lap (This my way of relaxing) and proceeded to type in a board comment, thread, entry, post, whatever another individual may want to call it. Nearing completion with a lengthy comment I must have mistakenly bumped another keyboard key or a mouse button and lost everything including my identity. My slate was whipped clean. So here it is. I’m starting all over again and when I’ve finished I’ll cut and past it where I had originally had tried to post it. So if I’m read duplicated? Tough! Live with it!!!
Having an ornery Ugly’s family participation once again after a month’s pampered hiatus, yesterday we hit the road with a fervent determination to do for ourselves. The first do was getting Frieda to another medical appointment. Frieda balked until I was determined to go shopping her appoint taking us miles on our way.
Finally on the road her limb imaging appointment display no unofficial admoralities. I too her out to eat, then seriously hit the road making at least, at-least, a dozen stops. I’ll have my reader know I’m a hunter, no gather. I know what I want and that is blind sided to any environment about me, tunnel visioned I go for what I am after. That’s it, period! There’s no comparison shopping, nada, zip, I’m in and out! Thus my shopping doesn’t take long. It’s more liking pick-up and deliver. All told we made no less than eight stops covering some sixty/seventy miles in all of five hours.
This house looks like a warehouse boxes and packages piled high down through the center our domicile. At present’s best I’ll find or make a nook or cranny to stow these products until I’ve the time to properly deal with them. Products for Ugly, our amusement, for the house, and for filling the belly out! On top of all this running I managed to mow about twelve acres alfalfa to bale tomorrow or next day. Coould I’ll be cutting, baling, trucking of course and wrapping some.
This morning I’ve a fountain to re-anchor, sudex (big hay) to mow. Haying season is on its second wind and there’s no free time for anything else done without a rain day. Plus I’ve got to shop (call) around for an Ugly part rumored or even destined unavailable?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Re-anchoring the ladies fountain was no fun. To much supervision, to many busy bodies sticking their noses into everything, under an unappreciated hot sun. And the lot of them deciding their thirsty when I’ve taken things apart. One stud broken off, here saved, haven’t decided how to fix the broken one as of yet. Have got three studs and nuts holding the thing down so far. Maybe a die used on remains the broken stud may let me us it? And wouldn’t a body know it I’ve got tools out I didn’t even need and up comes a shower to wet everything down. That cool as fast as it had arrived it was gone just as fast.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
While I haven’t cried, while I hadn’t pouted, been naughty altogether nice, during the fountain’s fixing Santa Clause brown stopped by and left me a big box of Cushman engine rebuilding goodies. Oh boy, more toys to play with. Goody, goody, goody!!!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Finished here I returned to shop, picked up tools, put tools away, sorted parts for Ugly’s use’ finished filling oil bottles. Put some junk in a scarp bucket. I hate cleaning up the shop. The place looks like it has gotten a long ways, away from us.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Come morning it’s gonna be a left turn out of driveway to pick up new fuel pump and fuel pressure regulator. My thought is if the new fuel pump doesn’t take care of the excessive fuel pup pressure I’ll have the regulator for back up. Additional parts include front drive shaft “U” joints. A couple bolts with springs to go with them for a heavy spring loading the exhaust pipe’s donut seal to the exhaust manifold. A spring loaded gasketed joint ought to allow for some flexing and continued sealed under spring loaded pressure. without the goofy seal disintegrating within another year, hopefully.
There’s more to write if I could only remember. Time to shut it down. BGKC.
Fernan