Thursday, June 27, 2013

Sick, Sick, Sick of Rain

We’re practically drowning in the stuff. Our farming practices have been pushed back so far it might just as well be written we haven’t started haying. Making an attempt to try and work up another seed bed for our last field’s planting the other day the grass was so tall the no till procedure was an impossible attempt to work up the ground. Opted it instead to park the field equipment for haying tools and take the field’s 60% quack grass off as hay. Then decide if we’ve still time to grow a crop or let the field grow back grass back for a second cutting fall hay cut and baling.
Not all my time is lost; however, as I’m using the rained off farming time to restore my Dumpy truck. It is coming along quite nicely. Almost wish I had done a complete body off frame rebuild. As it stands now about 95% all the rusted out panels are cutout and near trimmed back. The last of the needed body panel metal bending is nearly done. Body welding and reassembly may only be a day or two off and we will be putting Dump’s body back together as near new as I (we) can do it under varied handicapping procedures.
Whether Dumpy will be readily painted is still an up in the air question? If and when I get it going it can still serve the farm in its calico clothes (red cab, blue doors, black rocker panels, a gray dog-house, and a native looking rusty cargo dump box. Additional plans include redoing the interior with a replacement seat re-upholstery, new dash covering and a molded rubber floor mat will all come about giving old Dumpy at least a brand new ten year lease of farm life (or as long as I may live?).
Pi$$ on Rainbows
Fernan

Sunday, June 23, 2013

6-21-2013 1st full day summer


Mr. Pessimistic declaring, “It might rain!” that was alright with me. I settled in to working upon Dumpy. ‘Sides I needed the rest after my yesterday’s roof fixing adventure. Tom joined me early and did some chassis and body welding for me. I fought the radiator installation and won. And, eventually I installed the inner fender wells. Dumpy’s starting to look better to me while we’ve got a long way to go. Tomorrow I expect to redesign my fan radiator cooing shroud, maybe, in two pieces. I need to complete the rear brake lines, brake hub installations, and put the new rear tires on Dumpy. My short term immediate goal is to finish and tidy up all the immediate little projects started from Dump’s stem to stern before taking on the cab floor exterior panel replacements.
Fernan
6-20-2013 1st day summer
To accomplishments for today I had baled the hay I’d cut day before yesterday. Later in the day I stubbornly, my having no sensible safe physical need to be up there, I fixed my roof replacing three full shingles, nailing the rest what were loose back down.
The roof’s fixing went easily enough, my roof repair problem had stealth-fully developed by the time I wanted to get back off the roof. While I had been setting upon my derriere’s left cheek I had become lame to the point as I had tried to move some cramps were fixing to seriously set in.
Nobody else particularly worried about me, only I wasn’t supposed to do it, I sat up there dwelling upon two thoughts. Sliding off the roof on the loosened granules under my feet and rear to land on the brush-hog parked immediately under the eave where I had been working. The other, nobody paying any attention to me I had thoughts of calling the fire department to get me of the roof. By the time I managed and gritted the pain, was down on the ground leaving the ladder stand the roof materials lay, I was whipped. It was time I had to quit and go horizontal to escape the pain!!!
Fernan
6-20-2013 Four Days past
Day one Sat. 6-15-13
Early at it trying to clean and pain a number of parts for Dumpy truck, I was Bro’ requested to look at a field-disc on Coldwater Road. Okay, I went. Between here and there there’s a county park. Evidently Bro’ decides to take a scenic drive through said park my imagining he knew the southern gate had been locked shut a couple years ago. Not was the case when we got to aid gate. There her pulled over and celled, I presumed the disc owner, as to if the seller was there or where was he at that moment. Then Bro’ suggested we just as well finish driving the loop around the park. By’n’by he stopped somewhat near a picnic pavilion and Bro' suggested I take a walk to see what my youngest son was up to. Walked half way to the pavilion I realized what was happening. I was being given (though a day early) to a combined Father’s Day and BirthDay party by family friends and neighbors. I was blown away. I must admit my guilt taking full advantage of the situation to exchange hugs with every other female there rat in front of Her Clink. (he,he,he)
Day two, Sun. 6-16-13
Picking up from where I had been interrupted yesterday my Dumpy truck parts cleaning and paintings. It was getting onto late afternoon when I had finished my day’s work my hands, arms, face and beard where icky sticky allover sprayed in red paint. Arriving home clouds come quickly moving over us. Thunderously bright flashes of lightening filled our skies. The TV and radio reported we were in the path of some serious storm fronts. The sky presenting an ominous appearance I had no time for a shower in a looming electrical storm. Moments later the front came blustering in laying some trees blown down in an easterly direction. We also lost our power. Myself covered in red paint there was little I could do but wait for my pained anatomy to take a bit longer to dry in these brand new humid conditions. Resigned to my wait for the power to come on for even water, let alone hot water. We were treated to a second dose of winds and rains, including ample amounts of hail enough to look like winter snow drifts. The winds changing this second round blew trees down in every direction this time including westerly, even north westerly. One of them, an oak so big we hadn’t yet figured how to safely put it down on the ground, the problem had been solved.
Still day two going into day three…
Somewhere after midnight I stepped outside for a God Forbidden smoke. With all the power off all over the TWP, most of the county, even all the cities; OMG, I had the gloriously clear skied opportunity to see a star filled sky. The stars still beautiful as the childhood I remembered seeing them. They were a well welcomed sight I hadn’t seen for all the man made light what had been drowning out that spectacular skeptical over my head. I relished it, I basked in it, I bathed in it. The night was absolutely beautiful, even standing leaning my rump again' ramp rail during the fore-presumed powerless night neighborly plagued with the insistent drone of generators. Hearing all the broken silence, the disgusting gas burning noisy running home generators around about my neighborhood. Oh, by the way, our own generator had failed to properly run. Marvelous, just, simply marvelous.
Day three, Monday 6-17-2013
Spent powerless day hand wrenching what I could, without having to drill holes, or use power saws. Finished the day having installed some modified parking brake cables into Dumpy truck rear brake backing plates and having made the disc-harrow ready for field work. A long slow boring day what was just as tiring as a hard worked one?
Day four, Tuesday, 6-17-2013
Woke up again to mandatory tree trimming to keep all our ladies honest. With the power off Bro’ kept changing his mind as what some of us were supposed to do. When I had had enough of his indecision I gathered up Herr Clink to ride shotgun and I (we) went shopping. I could get that done, red faced and red handed. Spent an insanely amount of money at Wally World only to find out the hockey pucks they internet listed (I understood) to be in their stores were unavailable seasonal items. Just who invented the so called "seasonal item?" This isn’t the first time I’ve run up against this dumb a$$ed stupid narrow minded merchandizing snafu before, especially parts for farm machinery, and then these retailers wonder why some folks either don’t come back or spend less if the their sorry establishments.
Previously informed we’d be without power for four days we had power by the time we returned home. Oh how gloriously happy I was to indulge in a salad dressing facial. All over my head, my full beard my arms up past my elbows while I was likely setting the odd good grooming exercise I figured I had ought to at least taste good at the same time. The hot water shower did wonders washing away my disgust with this shopping expedition. Feeling clean and hungry I ate heartily for what parts of some meals what had been postponed Monday.
Day five, Wednesday, 6-18-2013
Begging my readers an extra indulgence day five it felt more like a continuation of day four. I don’t remember the beginning; however, I was mowing hay before noon. A good start I turned my attention to making fix the stubborn generator of the other night. Then hit head long into Bro’s in-decisions once more I opted out of the shop to make another shopping run, in another direction from home this time. I had heard a rumor there were to be had some shoes in my size (16) at some reasonable prices. Not only that, but there was an honest to goodness sporting goods store in this second general direction. By the time I had gotten home I had purchased 2pr shoes for $16.00, 8 hockey pucks, and some wanted lock-nuts un-found in closer parts. The days were getting better. I needed these shoes to fix my storm hackled roof.
“Rainbows.”
Fernan