Did I or Did I not.....

...Scrap my boots off before coming in last night?
That was the stinken question running, dripping, smudging, dirtying, tracking our floors through my mind on waking until I'd downed my first cup coffee. The go juice's effects washing the cobwebs my overnight mind one small memory resurfaces.... Hallelujah, I left my stinky boots out by the door. Oh Shyit! Was that inside or outside the door?
Oh crap. Is this one more degenerative mind thing I'll suffer everytime I squeeze my brain into that 1816 Case skid-steer seat. The sacrifices one makes when his hips become a real squeeze through a barn-stall's gate.
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Last November day? I ain't ready for this!
We had a miserably early rain yesterday. Weather jokers predicting late rain again for today. They said that yesterday. Now, they've got that same opportunity to mess it up al over again today.
Why not?
It's getting closer, flaps down weather.
Damn it. I used to look forward to winter snows. But I'm feeling so, I don't know, more tired lately. Thinking about this I just had to go look and see if the deck was covered with the white stuff. It wasn't. I hope daylight gets here soon. I'm feeling a melancholy episode coming on. Chuck it I'm going to go look for some internet stuffed bikini's.
All kinds of varied “This is not good for you” massages I didn’t find any pretty maids all in a row. I guess I’ll just have to wait for the swimsuit issue.
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My mind wondering if we got snow, even before day light I switched on the porch light and was relieved not to have seen snow. Whew! There had been offered a slight chance of snow flurries over night.
I continued yesterday’s good times all day to day playing once more in the Shyit. I like playing in my modeling clay more and more all those days when I was a kid. The best parts about the fun activities today I didn’t have change buckets. Worst parts of my day were the two times I had to make fix the turd hearses PTO drive chain. Butt, the barns cleaned. Glory be that’s done for awhile.
Now Lucky Me I get to grind grain again tomorrow. Seems like it were only Friday last I did that very same thing. Handy asked me for a ride over to the crossroads. His timing was right on. We were out of bread and milk.
The day I changed Frieda’s name coming up she wanted another ham. Talk about a libido attack, and all these years I had thought I were ham enough for her. Well, swallowing my pride, I got her a honey cured spiral cut precooked ham. From what I had had overheard her planning a few days ago my mouth has been watering for ham. Then come the old switcher-roo, she decided she’d rather roast a chunk of beef. And, she talking roasting it, my mouth already watering for a boiled dinner. All this menu change the last couple days to end my taste buds so confused I may stoop so low as to eat somechick’s unborn. A couple salt and peppered hard boiled eggs.
Seemingly feeling like it is past my bed time and unable to rationally think of anything more on an intelligent level to write. Bailing out, I want to go to bed. So, BGKC.
Fernan

Evening's start I forgot these

I put up three more posted post signs yesterday. When poaching season ends, open country snowmobiler’s will thoughtlessly take to smart arsed wholesale trespassing. It’s getting tougher to press charges on these guys. The required size for posted license numbers has grown smaller and my eyes weaker. I get short tempered when these people see a hole in the fence. Like waving a red flag in front of a bull, they find it a place to go charging through like its an open invitation to treat the land behind it as a public thoroughfare. They’re careless they may be damaging a crop sleeping under the snow.
Yes I know the word “these” is meaning plural. It’s like this! I forgot the second thing I was going to catch up on while writing the first one. Arrggghhhh!!!!!
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I’m sadly reminded…
The time I ordered some rather shapely play things out-a Fredrick's Hollywood catalog one time. All I got was a bunch of soup straining rags in a plain brown wrapper. When Frieda looked at them she saw them as something different than I did, even excitedly thanking me for some such an odd personally intimate gift. “Intimate” was her word for the stuff? Luckily it had all worked out for my better or worsened with some rather interested after hours private shows. It's no wonder I'm so damned tired in my after life for everything my colleen had so savagely worked out what strength I once had within me many years ago. A regular old book Delieya she was. Damn, I remember right if I had even given into her every time she’d often cut my hair. Oh Lawd, I’m a-feared I learned to late.
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I had one thoroughly crappy day pitching manure, my liking wearing the compact case skidsteer. Part way through the crappy adventure I had to exchange the skid steer’s material bucket for it’s manure bucket. It was about here I’d have let anyone join in the fun putting a hand in’ Then I needn’t have had to get my fingers offal dirty seeking out the buckets pins.
To add even more interest to the late morning’s activity start the rains coming down during the noon hour weren’t really expected until late evening. It has felt so much better finally getting after having been rain soaked twice today. Ooh! The unmentionable pleasures of a farmer always the one who is the first and last to get his hand in. BGKC.
Fernan

My Day Proper (Afternoon Edition)

Herr Clink has been making some, “I’ll cut your hair” overtures around here. She's suggesting she'll only trim me up around my face leaving my neck hair grow long for its furry warmth. She's hinting at only wanting a better view my eyes. Anyway listening to her prospectus I'm dreading coming out from under the sheet with bangs over my eyes? I'm not so sure I could take all the comments for the some such an appearance from that occasional dinner stop? Nor, could I take it the Scoob woofing it up and the ladies "My, how cute he is" comments either...
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Well, once I got underway, this AM, I managed to grind a neighbor a load of ground corn. I even delivered it and parked the load in his barn, all before lunch. I hain’t been messing around here!
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Follows a picture my afternoon accomplishment.

It took me most the afternoon using three saws each with its own style/type blade. That or load up at least three pickup loads varied tires and PAY a supposed tire recycling center $3,00/car tire, $15,00/tractor tire, to gladly take them off my hands. So between inflation, a poor profit margin, whenever I should find idle empty time on my hands. I guess I’ll be cutting up tires for fun and relaxations profit for some time to come.
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The hour’s nearing 8:00 PM and I’m just starting to feel the need for sleep. Sure beats the unnoticed near delivery my face in my supper plate. BGKC.
Fernan

AM 11-28-o9 Write about what?

Sitting at my keyboard this morning havin’ been disappointedly left off the White House party guest list this week and yet feel rewarded a good night’s sleep which has dededelighted me to the point I may finally turn this daylight savings time lagging reversal around.

Having communicating numerous times with the White House thinking President Obama and I were just like this. imagine my disappointment when my invitation was evidently lost in the mail. I just find it unconscious-able the SS sould let in a rather leggy younger looking blond and not check upon my missing aged presents. (shameful) Why! I might even had stopped by the door’s boot scraper for my entering in? I can be high toned that way upon occasion.

On the other hand, I hope this morning’s sleep-in has changed my sleep cycle. This falling asleep mere minutes after coming into the house is tiring me out. I mean this 3:00 AM waking morning after morning is also tiring me out. Hopefully I shall find a restful balance soon…..

Well now, I’ve written something’s early enough I shan’t forget. Then nor shall I have to fight the sandman’s trying to stop me nor my get’em these short term memories brought back to mind to be writ this evening. BGKC all day.
Fernan

Turkey Day

Got up this morning cultivating thoughts to once more to plant corn next year here. It's been ten years since I harvested the last crop. Now with that thought in mind I see myself beginning to start squirting
a lot of oil upon rust frozen drive chains early-on well before the coming next spring's planter preparations part. How I enjoy Spring's planting putting me a-field to take in the musty smells of freshly worked soil, painfully filling the planter hoppers, for such short fun driven seed delivery runs to stop and load the planter all over again.
Autumn so colorfully short compared to the fleshed out limbs of the hardwoods corn picking is surely one of the better driven farm jobs. Harvesting is were the fun is. Deer running back and forth in the standing corn trying to avoid detection, And, a big and, watching all the wee little ballerinas spiraling off, dancing away, on lifting air currents should I hit the set stage's curtained milkweed pods. Then there is the golden color of the eared corn’s travel (especially if the sun’s shining) up a long open elevator into a tall storage bin.
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Now, here’s sad part. These flames are consuming the last of the old rotted down corncrib.

That poor old decrepit corncrib may be missed, if for nothing else, how about just for the looks of it?

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Perhaps chancing repeating myself, I immediately jumped up and out to do my part getting out of Herr Clink’s putting the turkey together way. My help must have been needed. When the bird had been prepared, ovened, baked well done, Frieda and I loaded it up and drove twelve miles to Miss Susan’s home were our households combined under one roof’s feasted to our hearts content. Me, to my bellies fill. Requiring my resting my eyes. Joining me was this sweet little girl named Lilly. Silly girl, I’ve no idea why she should take to me? Wait a moment?
Some months ago when Miss Lilly had come to live with Miss Susan she was kind-a shy, reserved, and within her own mind, held back. I remember getting down on the floor those some months ago and told her she simply had to broaden her horizons. OMG. She did just that. One sunny warm day miss Lilly slipped out on Miss Susan. She ran down the road. She didn’t go far. She didn’t need to. She found herself some mischief, for across the road was a Holstein dairy farm. Turning in the dairy farm driveway it didn’t take her long to find and make friends with some milch cows. And just to show the bovine ladies how happy she was with her meeting them she rolled in some offal so’s she could take some smells the visit with them home with her.
Upon Miss Lilly’s return home Miss Susan was not at all that happy with Miss Lilly’s obviously scented behavior showing Miss Lilly to the showers to wash her escapades scents right out of her hair. To this day Miss Susan has not forgiven me my part in encouraging Miss Lilly to live some beyond her immediate world. LMAO.
So here she is Miss Lilly taking a shine to me for having advised her when she needed a few words of encouragement in her now much happier life.
It never hurts to BGKC.
Fernan

A turkey delivery

Tomorrow being turkey day I’m remembering our first legitimate grandchild was delivered a Thanksgiving Day. The little suburban was laid up and I was in short sleeves within the confines of my garage making fix my trusted old 4x2 3 on-a tree shifting when the news daughter was in labor in the county seat’s hospital. For crying out load that was a drive half way to Siberia. And, as the first time expectant grandfather I was expected to chauffeur the even more important First Expectant Grandmother to the blessed event. Code red the flags, lights, time of the essence, we had to have been there already. In my garage in my short sleeves I was hands and forearms covered in grease up and beyond my wrinkled elbows. Regardless what I looked like either in cleanliness or fashion I was instructed drop whatever I was doing and demandedly pressed upon to deliver the very excited grandmotherly type to the monumental doubly first child event. No time to wash, go as were, for the first time in my married life I looked good enough to drive the boss lady in th big suburban.
Wearing my customary winter tux, even in those good old days, at the hospital I stepped out of it leaving it to stand alone the Hospital corridor. Checked out my daughter who was doing just fine and hours away from the big event. Asking where I might wash up I was directed to a washroom what needed a real man’s soap. If I washed my hands once, I washed them over a dozen times. I had the sterilest dirty hands in the whole of the county. Repeatedly checking on daughter before renewed hand washing she no longer wanted to go through with this birth! (yiyiyi) Her mother told her, “It’s a little late to think about that now, Dear!” And our waiting went on.
Having just washed my dirty hands for the umpteenth time, The Doctor finally come walking down the hall. We exchanged introductions, pleasantries, and hypnoses. Doc went on to do his patient checking thing. My son in law and I having taken up hall pacing continued on our lengthy hall rounds. As the time dragged the women huddled together in the delivery-room, us men paced the hall joined by the good Doctor. With Doc I struck a conversation discussing luck. I particularly pointed out the event’s taking place on this particular Thanksgiving Day. I marveled with Doc this family’s good fortune, their first child being delivered by a genuine Turkey rather than the traditional stork…. Owe I felt so good, including my dirty hands.
As continued luck would have it, the well my SIL had drilled in, the well he had installed a casing, the well he had dropped the well pipe and point into had come in while we were all at the hospital. By the time he had gotten home, he had to remove his shoes and socks to the wad the ice and snow bone chilled new moat waters into their home. For that same morning he had drilled in an artesian well. The mama, the papa, and the brand new baby girl had all the pure spring like water they’d ever want delivered just mere feet from their door for evermore. BGKC.
Fernan

11-24-o9 I’m reminded

About 60 yrs ago while taking a work break from lower Mich in the Upper peninsulas porky pine mountains I acquired a pr. of the great depression's surplus CCC snowshoes from an army-navy surplus store in Iron River. They were in absolutely splendid condition looking near new. Outfitted with the rocking leather strapping to buckle over my shoes, I had a ball using them that February excursion. Snows up there were well over my waist attempting a walk into the woods off any plowed or snow packed forest trail or highway. With them, because the snow was so cold and powdery each step I took I still settled about ten inches into the accumulated fallen snows. So much easier to get around on I kept close tabs on them over the ensuing yrs. A great difference in snow's between the upper and lower peninsulas on fallen wetter snows down here (southern lower Mich.) using them they didn't settle nearly as deep in these more southern snows.
I don't know what it was that drew me into doing it but I thoroughly enjoyed February's winter hikes into the wildernesses. It was the combination of the cold frozen weight of the snow knocking down the weeds, briars and brambles for easier passages unthought-of during the warmer months. The fallen snows some (many) blown some drifted over the holes helped in winter’s way level the terrain some. Again snow shoes by there padding mass made my walking into areas easier where I‘d never venture during any other season.
Go slow. Takes more than just putting them to use them. Go Slow! You’ll get the knack of swinging each foot out in turn to go from here to there. Make your first hike a short one. You‘ll find muscles you didn‘t know you had talking to you. Fit a banana and/or an orange into you diet. And do some stretching exercises before and after every adventure out.
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Took this swinging in the breeze part off Tall Ollie some few days ago

This piece and it’s related parts have been thoroughly cleaned and reassembled today. Fun, fun. Fun! Several other issues to take care of it’ll be more than a few days before the Tall one will mechanically run out of the shop ready for next haying season’s work. I can hardly wait.
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Ho boy, I slept long an hard last night. Fell asleep early evening last until 6:00 this morning. Hopefully my energies’ last longer today. I’ve still got some serious cleaning (picking up) the shop apron before the snows hit us. So while it’s late its still here, last night journal offering.
Fernan

Here I go again…

…setting down my days activities.
I started here first instead of off running the road. Did all my chores day’s extra early. Dark closing on me last night before I had done it all right, happy I accomplished most of it. So along sometime this AM this morning I made up for last night. I unloaded the last wagon load hay. Picked-up what I’d gotten behind on scrap wrap. Picked up my summer chair from where I had left it when my fire had failed other day. Picked up some firewood spilled off a load some weeks back. I took up the Westside hay-yard fence wire before it were destroyed snagged or brokened, and avoid frozen down should I have need for it later, and set another line of electric fence posts in soft earth just in case I should need their use in February say? Plus some other in passing tidying up.
Belly lunch satisfied it was right turn out of drive. I put rust penetratent on old 4020 JD’s cab work lighting for moving over to JD’s new cab. Spent most of afternoon cleaning the Tall Ollie’s dirty parts for reassembly a day or so from now. Balderdash, forgot at least three things I wanted to do: refill fuel cans, load a roll of steel on Ugly, (opps) mistakenly left Ollie’s hydraulic oil-pan outside, forgot to bring home trouble light to look for possible Leland tractor oil leak parked down in the barn, forgotten to check the mail box, and neglected to carry in another arm load firewood.
Tired of the same-ol’ “meal’s on wheels” table fare’ some of it good, most of it fair, some unbelievable whatever it was sposed to be. Tonight I had to have something different before I start dumping my cookies. We made pizza, on the dough mozzarella cheese, red and green peppers, onions, black and green olives, but missing the most important pineapple ingredient. Roughing it, it was still better’en good.. It saved my life‘s palette for more adventurous food any time I may get at it. I’m stuffing the turkey this year with my improved upon Mom’s recipe. BGKC.
Fernan

11-22-o9 From a bum start….

….the day improved as it went on. Woke up with headache, loose stools, and a queasy stomach. Oh oh! Was I coming down with something in this morning’s early hour? I could only hope I weren’t. As time went by I washed down a stack of corny pancakes (as Frieda calls them) with a couple cups coffee. And continued making reservations for the use of the library. By late midmorning phone calls were coming in. Ray had made a 39 hay bales deal to haul home. I’d guessed I might better venture out and try it. Knowing exercise can move a body’s function right along I started my physical activity close to home just in case. In need of the flat rack hay wagon the steel I had laid on it a couple days ago required being put away. As damp as it has been we hadn’t been blessed with boot bogging mud as yet the JD we need for the day’s loading moved that loaded hay wagon under the haymows door for unloading. Doing this and other chores, feeling no discomfort, I broadened my range of activity. If I had to, I figured I could take alternative measures. Keeping those measures to myself I shan’t write about them at this time for fear of future fallouts.
On the road, Bro’ had called and was trying to arrange an afternoon sortie moving the hay. I had some preparatory things to do to be ready before then if it should take me that long. I had to ditch my wood hauler. Been loading it with shop-apron scrap for a scrap-yard run. And, I had to fuel several gasoline cans for two tractors uses. Oh well, they both needed fuel anyway. Better today than tomorrow or the next in the rain.
When everything had been readied and/or prepared Tom and I went at it. I had three loads hauled home before his nib’s had made it back into pour loco neighborhood. A Mich. Shorthorn Association board member, he’d been away all this morning.
Well, Here it is, a day over do again.
Fernan

Tart two Same day

By the sweat of my brow, my back, my arms…..whatever else felt showered on when I had come in for the noon hour. Sheesh, telling it like it is, it’s downright chilly outdoors and the humidity feels high enough we should have snow. The skies were mostly-mostly this AM. Believe me I do not know how to dress, and this isn’t any little boy problem.
My morning’s accomplishment? I’ve pulled the nails out of most what was left of the old corncrib‘s salvageable lumber. For afternoon’s entertainment I bent the law. I built me a little fire and disposed of everything of something other and burned the steel filled holey remains. Now that all that waste is gone let them do a forensic exam on my ash. Meanwhile, I feel better most that heavy stuff having gone up in smoke. I diffidently don’t have to chance ruining a sharp saw blade cutting waste fibers turning them all into tied up manageable sized trash bundles from now on through Easter next.
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As it had turned out I enjoyed an easy day getting something done in the bargain. With some sunshine over us part of the afternoon it also turned out a feel good day. BGKC.
Fernan

Smelling good

She’s got to be up to something? First clue I hadn’t asked for this. The kitchen is smelling so good is my only clue. Opps! Just served the second clue. After a couple bites, they were whole wheat pancakes with whole kernel corn thrown in? The third and forth clues combined Her Mostess does not like whole kernel corn. It is good eating this morning while I anxiously a-wait for the fifth and last not so supple the hardcore clue. What does she want something? Money maybe? A ride? My taking her to Church?
Hmmm? Well, she’s started giving me orders. Nothing unreasonable nor difficult domestic requirements. Meanwhile, I nervously a-wait the high command. For now, until later. BGKC. Like, just in case I don’t make it back here today?
Herr Clink’s biggest headache
Fernan

11-20-o9 “Surprise Surprise Surprise!”

Quoting Gommer Pyle.
It had come to pass as I was coming out of the lower barn a long dark limonene liking vehicle was pulling across my driveway out front. Before I had crossed the dry creek, before I had made it up the grade, before I had even gotten the crest of my driveway the chauffeured passenger was just a talking to me insisting I come out to talk with him. “Woof,” he had said, “Woof woof!” repeating himself a number of times. What could I do but go to the road to exchange pleasantries. My four footed little buddy had stopped by to see me. Myself so delighted I gave him the traditional hands on greetings while exchanging pleasantries. Why, I even thanked the Scooby Doo for bringing the Loopy Sparky by also. I’d liked to spend more time with them but Sparky and I each had things to.
I just know Scooby’s got a whole lot to tell the Loop when she returns.
Viva La Scooby! ;-)
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It seems I have missed my own date line journal contribution. As for what kind of day it was I was into many things accomplishing nothing. It all tired me out just the same. Want an excuse? I’ll lay my present lifestyle upon a low pressure system hovering over my achy achy-head the last few days. As always continue BGKC.
Fernan

11-19-o9 We’ve rain.

Sonofagun, I ran short what all I wanted accomplished be fore more rains descended upon us, but I’m glad I got done of my list out of the way just the same: Opps I missed covering some of my dry kindling (it’ll dry again), I missed laying up some salvaged steel roofing in my hay-mow (so long as I get it up before the next wind’s up, and mud up to the hubs. I failed to cut down the two problem mull-berry trees (I’ve got all winter).
I can make one sorry excuse for one of the preceding misses. I got home late.
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Here’s, backing the imaginary spreader up overnight. In-spite of our closing the shop earlier than usual, the usual color of a clouded afternoon sky started dimming the skies an hour and a half early. We were treated to the rolls of thunder as day had prematurely turned into a try-light zone. Dropping Tom off, I immediately drove to our village grocer’s. I thought I had more time beat sundown home. I was wrong. Add to this, I had miserably gotten our finances messed up in the super market. What finances I thought I had had on one debit card I had used were gone. (embarrassment). But well enough I had cash in my pocket, only not quite enough. All this horrific supposedly humiliating situation for a sane person to handle, the situation didn’t bother me. It was not the first time I had goofed up. Not over yet, here it comes……….
Our check-out lane’s problem really started and came to a head when the cash register screen differed in what I was supposedly credited and what I owed. Trying to iron the whole mess out my offering to pay cash for the grocery’s, my having to visit the Aunty M’s money machine, the clerk would not hear of it, she called the floor manager. The floor manager also wouldn’t hear of it. I was discreetly invited over to the service counter where the floor manager delved into the depths of my debit card and had managed to have obtain my debit card activity for the current month. Then she asked me about my bank card. I didn’t know what kind it was it supposedly limited to only a few specified uses. So as she had suggested I swiped in the push’em crazy button machine. I added my pin number. And Whalla(!) My bill was taken care of without so much as a suggested bank transaction charge. Then add to that I was told I could even ask for cash back. Wow! Wow! Wow! Any embarrassment I should have felt, my getting to old to worry about such feelings, wasn’t there. I learned how to save another ten bucks bank fees a month. (he he he) Damn! What some things aren’t told us, what could save a senior citizen some money and grief?
There’s something good to come out of any day live if we only keep our minds and hearts open to experience it. Can’t tell how happy I’ve always been shopping my village grocer. Worst part the whole ordeal was my drive home under an earlied sundown an hour and a half after the fact.
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Gads! Our turkey was pried at $.29/lb. All the trouble I caused in the checkout lane I’m glad I didn’t pickup two!
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What a lousy day, no rain or shine, there was no shine, there was really no full blown rain either, only humidity thick enough to trouble my imagination trying to define it, explain it. I can’t believe I’m at a loss for a good metaphor. The best part of it, I woke up to it. Here I go getting philosophical, if we don’t experience some bad days, we can’t fully appreciate the beautiful days even more.
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Darn it! This is the morning after coming home last night walking into the house without cable. It was an evening without TV and internet. Oh lawd, I was reduced to talking with a wife. :^) And I wrote another erotic chapter our passionate life together of the good good-old-days. ;^) Well instead of maudlin let me go back to the few non-productive things I did yesterday’s morning, afternoon and evening.
I dragged and covered my kindling off Wood hauler. Trailer emptied, I tried loading it with scrap metals gathered the front of shop, I failed that. Took some more tall Ollie apart and we’re no further along with the problem solution. I fed my ladies a dry bale. The pushing and shoving, the pastures eatened for the season, I opened a silage cell in my hay yard and gave a bale to the ladies. Some of this was while I had tried to start a brush pile fire out here in the near east pasture. Trying to start it I failed. I even gave up on it. Why it wouldn’t burn is beyond me. I haven’t made up my mind whether the wood was to wet or dry? So it was a little damp. I’d started brush piles before greener than this one before. It is just got a little heat going and that heat would warm the sap in the limbs turning their sap into a generated gas that normally burn with a robust fervor. It wouldn’t happen. I gave up on it and went back to the house twice, took truck first, tractor next. Then walking up the ramp, “son of a bitch” the brush pile had flames dancing eight/ten/twelve feet in height. Holy barnyard crapola I had a brush fire. And right there on the burning permit I had signed, I agreed to watch it! Long into the evening’s twilight.
The fire having flared up I gathered up my thermos tobacco pack, and summer chair and hurdling two fences I returned to the fire scene. Thinking ahead likely for but the second time for the entire day I had brought my rattlers along so I might timely take them for super’s readiness.
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Opps, Having not put this where it belongs in a timely fashion here is to catching up some. I hope everyone has Been GKC.
Fernan

Another fairly…..

………warm day was excellent outdoor working temperatures and I practically missed it. If it weren’t shop work it was localized activities requiring little physical exertion. Just the kind of weather dressed to warm and can’t take it off for the activity is to motionless or moderate, to really get into it or get with it, your choice.
Woiking upon the Tall 1850 Ollie, we removed the top most casting off the rockshaft housing and found a mess inside. Seams we’ve lots of water mixed in with the hydraulic fluid. Siphoning the foamed fluid out of the hydraulic reservoir it appears what we could not remove we’ve either still got or continue to have an icky mess on our hands. Now it’s think tank time. There are two possibilities. One, the water in the hydraulic system has stuck some parts like, maybe the proportioning valve is stuck, or the hydraulics’ three point rocking arm’s operating cylinder valve is stuck. Whatever’s wrong, well the whole shooten-match is in need a thorough cleaning. So the whole rockshaft case will also need to come off and takened apart. But alas, there were other things that also needed tending to today.
Why we even made it out to the hay-yard to winterize the silage bale wrapper. Removal the engine battery. This involved tying the unused wrap still on the machine up-tight. I leave the wrap installed for start up use next year. Last time I removed them (wrap rolls) we had a heck of a time putting them back on the machine, the cardboard cores had gotten wet and expanded. Then they required some extensive hand carving to put them back on the following season. Hmmm, Now I know why grandpa’s whittling was so important.
We managed to hang the new replacement gate. Lucky us, it is two inches taller than the gate it replaces making the gate post pins wrong by a shortened two inches. Unable to move the lag-screw like type hinge pins the top one had two and a half inches added on top, and so it doesn’t tip a vertical brace was welded to it as well. The additional brace we lagged to the post so‘s the top hinge-pin wont turn. The gate’s hung, we’d finished that and when freed it may happily swinging a grand 180* arc.
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On the fun side of living I received this in my mail yesterday.

I can not lie. I liked the cover shot. Mmmm Mmm Mm. Frieda seeing it, enthusiastically mentioned she would have liked my getting that for her, once upon a time. It was in those days if I bought it for her, she liked putting it on, just so I could take it back off. Hmmmm! That catalog cover outfit would have been an at least a four hour (all inclusive), maybe six hour, removal exercise of the most romantic nature. It is something to be totally taken in by eye before a hands on savored and enjoyed to all the utmost pleasurable ends. Those were the day’s my friends I had thought they’d nev……ah……never mind. BGKC .
Fernan

What I know….

...I don't know. Haven't even looked outside. It'll make little difference what I see. I have to grind regardless. Then I want to cut down a couple trouble-some trees. And now with the seasons moving around in circles as they do on the farm there's plenty of shop work to keep Herr Clink's charge out of trouble.
Fernan
This was my morning’s opening statement. Only I’m sure and afraid what I have got to do will be laborious today unless I cheat at it with some honest skulduggery. Then what I want to do I’ll have to postpone. And, shures as crap happens there’s shop work and house work. Well, I’ll be here to see how it all works out?
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Had to do it all by myself this morning. Bummer! All I saw before I started my day was a lot of agonizing weight lifting. (moan & groan) I don’t remember everything, soooo, as been the custom more and more lately I’ll write the condensed version.
Starting the morning I brought feed wagon home. Instead of dropping wagon for taking the pallet supplements off the barn floor I simply put that pallet of goods on a pair of handy saw horses. Worked out nicely. Supplements set with a lot of man handling I set up the grinder. The grinder running I tapped out all the caked bags supplement with the broad side of a hand axe into a heavy duty old protein tub. From the tub I shoveled the supplements into a bucket pouring it into the mixer. It all went reasonably well considering thee expected weight lifting I managed to avoid. Everything put away it was lunch time.
The afternoon I did more chores. Picked at this and that. Tried putting more stuff away. With all the crap piling up in the shop we’re running out of space to stow everything. Something’s got to give one of these days. Picked up a new gate at elevator on my way home. I finally got around to bringing wood in. One grocery cart full and four arm full’s. I never thought or better explained I wondered if my knees could finish the day. (Pain, pain, aggravation, pain) I did make it. And, after dark Handy had called asking if I’d bring in a deer he’d shot this evening. So this was my day.
Owwww! Got to write about this. Animals can be the craziest people. This very AM while I was moving about bringing the Cushman out, aggravating my knees rolling away the barn door from my way. The ladies came up to the barnyard fence to complain. Holy moley, they were demanding I make the grass grow something like six inches while I listened to their bawling. Just when did I start looking like a magician? BGKC.
Fernan

stayed home

That is right I stayed up here, instead going out back, and started my turns out of the driveway early. I hitched on my loaded wagon I had dropped off empty last week. Took it around the block for a weigh slip. Then went down the road just as if I were going to grind today. Looking in the feed box I left it remaining where it was for the kids to finish cleaning out this evening.
Checked on Tom. I wish him luck with is nerve fact finding tomorrow. He’s supposed to have his nerves checked tomorrow. Supposed to involve a lot of pin-pricks to determine when and where he may or may-not have feeling. I’ve used the words “supposed” because his Doctor had decided to take a vacation last week and nobody thought to notify him (Tom) and his family keeping their appointed time only to be turned away.
Frieda’s friend Sue kept a Doctor appointment to be put off for hours. When she returned home she sent him a bill for her time wasted waiting those hours. He sent her a check and didn’t keep her waiting anymore.
I attempted to do something with the tall Oliver in the shop. Did manage to jack it up and block the tub to even doing it twice for I didn’t like the way I done it the first time. Then took the wheels off, and commenced to keep right on wrenching loosening all the nuts and bolts.
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Loop:
Saw Sparky today his stopping by to pickup what had fallen off D’s shoulders. Contrary to all the neighborhood rumors I had started D hadn’t lost his head, only his hat.
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The temperatures on the critical edge for painting I painted the Tall Olivers new steps and rolled them inside the shop. The paint job come off looking good not counting the one curtain I hung on it. J
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Dumass becoming inspired at 3:30 PM decides I needed more physical exercise cutting down a couple Russian Olives. I merely limbed off the stumps I’ll dig out the next time backhoe is on that end. Home I put thing away, carried out the trash, and collapsed in my favorite chair. One cart full wood and three armloads wood’ll have to wait again until tomorrow. Been three days putting off until tomorrow already this week. And, I didn’t finish the laundry. BGKC.
Fernan

State Holiday

Keyboard upon lap at 11:45 I’m typing this….
This was morning’s opening day gun dear season. I found my cell phone start hunting time late off by 4 min. Man, when ya can’t trust your cell phone what can a body trust for time.
I woke to early for hunting preparation. Managed to go back to sleep to then wake up the clocks around here leaning on sunrise. It was a hustle. I dressed and scurried down to the barn for the Cushman. So eager to go it started up raring to go before I could wrap a few fingers around the black hearted knob to choke it. I brought it up to the house for final loading rather than trying tote everything down to the barn: Two jugs thermo filled with reheated vintage coffee. No time to take rattlers and wait an hour for breakfast I cracked a couple eggs in a glass of milk making an eggnog pint liquid meal. Loaded gun, flashlights, gun and ammo, an apple in my pocket, bright red hat, and me: we were on our way.
So quiet out there a half mile from house and roads surrounding this section I heard noises. Normally I can swivel my head around on my neck almost 270*. Hmmm, that was a few years back evidently. Parked where we were I could only manage a 220* back and forth turn my face this morning. And then I wondered what was going on sound effects wise in my neck. Twisting it back a forth I could her what I might be describe as cold gristle squeaking against my effort to look around. Her Mostess has been fattening me up for years. Might been even worse, the sounds coming to my ears from the inside out liken a couple kids silently shuffling/busting the bubbles in a piece of blister packaging packing.
Sunrise somewhere around about 7:56, the first two shots came to me from straight on out in front of me a mile or so away. Next gun fire sounded like a confederate uprising launching a whole cannonade sequentially from a five canon in line from north to south, all this coming of less than a quarter mile distance. So quiet after that I couldn’t believe all those shots missing without so much as a tree felled by flying leads cutting.
Warmer when I had started out before daylight, the morning continued to cool off as day’s time moved on. By the time I got back the ladies were all primed and ready to give me an earful. I tried appeasing them with pasture. They weren’t about to accept that verbally insisting on a baled hay delivery . That’s a switch even for them. Always been if they could see green they’ve always wanted on it. Who can figure females????
Late morning pills taken got to wait an hour for a proper brunch before hitting shop for Rays project to clean and prime. Interestingly enough the house has stayed warm in-spite the fire dying out. And gosh the sun has finally come out. Now, I’m hoping it’s a warming sun. Guess I’ll hang around here a few more minutes and partake of a proper brunch. Seems her Mostess is cooking up something. So, what I get for brunch? An omelet!!! (hahahohohehe) Could anything more coincidental or strange happen?
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Lunch put away shop time had me sand blasting a set of new steps for the tall Ollie. I mixed primer and shot the thing. Took care my mess and managed to get away for so more outdoor sitting until the start of sundown. My evening eye sight failing I gave up the hunt and came home. Only disappointment, I never saw a hair.
What’d I take in: saw some sparrows a-sitting a highline, listened to a couple squirrels raising hobs over something I couldn’t see, enjoyed watching a blue-j flitting from limb to limb snacking on insects hibernating in the tree barks cracks, out of the tens of thousands geese darkening the skies two days ago I saw only three flying puddle to puddle today. BGKC
Fernan

Two days woik

Starting far end mob at eight o’clock this morning, including the miles driven between the farms we were done before Eleven o’clock this morning. To me, that was a whole day’s work completed before noon. Got a ride north a-ways to where the digger loader had been lent out. I brought it home to fill and grade a water hole or two. I parked it for lunch. Some body called to pay a beef bill, I‘d collect. Somebody called looking for firewood to cut, which I showed them a red oak top right near the edge of the woods, which again this time delighted us both. I’d be a start cleaning up the woods. Maybe they’ll bring me some, I’d like for January. (hehe)
Lunch down, starting earth moving tractor, the ladies had come up from pasture and had me surrounded. There was my no getting any dry fill this afternoon to dry up a couple muddy holes. (grumbler-grumble) I made three passes moving some slurry and that was that. I had to give the ladies a hay bale. My knowing they’d out flank me I had to haul it all the way around all the yards to get it to them. That was if I were to remain unmolested. Whew, it worked. The ladies fed, I immediately went to combining a couple piles tree limbs and pack them out from under some aluminum power lines for another brush pile fire.
At 4:00 PM this afternoon writing this and finishing yesterdays journal entry along side a tea break. Only about a half hour daylight left I don’t want to move…..
Livestock tallies not so very good or seriously lacking in good reproductive order over the summer’s last performances..…or…..lets put it another way. Anybody need a good baloney bull his initials Spats?
Thought maybe you-all might like a gander at the gate I had patched up a couple days ago.

So, here it is. A couple small pieces wood, what might have been intended kindling, bolted over a steel upright to keep the rest of the gate from spreading. Then for a little extra steadying I drove a traffic sign post to better solidly chain the gate closed to. And lastly the added hot wire crossing that gate kind-a close to the ground sure eliminates a lot damaging nosing under that gate for greener grass on the other side. I wouldn’t want a fine lady getting a sliver in her nose. BGKC
Fernan

11-13-o9 Sneakies

Well, maybe they weren’t sneakies, but here’s what they were:
I had managed to stop long enough to see my K9 buddy Scooby yesterday. Gee whiz, It was reported to me over a quick coffee stop, I had inadvertently to picked up toy from Miss Loopy’s trash a lengthy piece of cylindrical foam with a hole down the middle. I saw it a insulation over my pipes in the basement. Seems that supposed quick stop was witnessed by my four footed buddy and it upset him something fierce. So having stopped by later, I had managed to earn some appeasement. There was no rough housing just some of my light scratching his rum and some gentle petting between his ears. I wish him well soon passing whatever it is he had ingested to have upset his systems.
Hope all goes well with Scooby his visit the vet’s clinic today.
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Frieda got her friend Sue to take her to the foot doctor’s office yesterday. Cost? Buy them diner out was the unreturnable price. I was lucky I got any money back…. Restraint food (LOL, I like that food experience description) seems to go along with the wading effort through any eatery’s menu. Scads of questions arise: Is it good for me? Is it compatible with my medications? Which list it on, I can or can I not have? What’s it cooked in, fat, what kind of fat (oil). I can’t have peanuts! Is there anything I can have what I haven’t had in such a long time I may indulge in making it only a wee bit naughty?
Frieda taking charge her drink, she ordered a cup hot water and dipped her very own herbal tea bag. The lady’s got nerve.
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I think I’m becoming addicted to watching “Fly Away Home” again. 9A true story repeated for a movie) I’m in awe that story the geese shown the way south by a couple people flying ultra lights. I’m repeatedly amazed by those birds and the young actress leading them day after day. I’m also amazed at the film crews dedicated efforts film the whole growing, training, learning planning, processes that took place for a near year for all those people involved..
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Oh Crap. Gun opener deer season only two days away, I got to unload the Cushman. I just know it wants to participate. It’s become traditional. I’ve got to do that today! Vet’s coming tomorrow to pregnancy check all the ladies and breed heifers. That’ll mess up any preparatory time tomorrow night.
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It is tomorrow already. So! Trying to fill in missing time for this day (yesterday) is beyond me. I know I was busy all day. Wait a moment, let me try to recant: I went to TWP office for a burn permit. While I was in the village I was going to gas up Ugly. Then managed to forget to do that for the second day in a whole row. I set and watched a couple burn piles burn. While they burned I filled three two bushel tubs with wood chips and sticks for winter kindling. Ho-boy, the two bushel wood chips filled tubs get heavy. Aging telling I had to lower the wood hauler’s tailgate to load them.
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I’ve spent a good time chiseling prescription meds out of this infernal blister packaging.

Cheese and crackers, I sure didn’t look forward to sitting by the fire my life and limbs within my own hands taking some serious chances cracking those damned pills out of these ultra sick minded pharmaceutical packaging’s.
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To regress for a moment I saw Tom’s wife at the supermarket. She’d dyed the gray roots of her strawberry blond hair. I-carumba, Looking at her renewed image, I suddenly felt twenty years older. (sigh)
Fernan

Getting up in World

Combating dryness, I had a beer last night just before bed time. I got so relaxed the afternoon nap had only helped rest me up for last night's sound sleeping.
Soon's the frost melts and dries off I got a roof to fix today. Handy's insisted I no do it alone. I guess I wont be measuring my bounce's height without witnessed documentation.
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Later
Out of here looking for Handy we had somehow managed to go our ways. He had slipped out into the woods with a couple chairs to set for this weekends deer gun opener. Me, I had to fix fence the spring heifers had gone through again. Ray wanting me joining wires his way with a Western Union splice, I didn’t. My way I tied the well opened loose ends together with a square knot. Not an easy splice, but for me a much tougher one. We’ll know how well they've held up? I used two of them.
The lime spreader fixed, I sought out Tom to take the 2150 and handle the lime spreading task. I’d liked to have had some tractor play but my talents would serve the farm better used what I could better handle. It were late morning when I had finally caught up with Handy. We opted for sandwiches before tackling tenant house roof.
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Still later
Getting upon the job, (hehe) myself getting up in the world; gosh, it took twice as many shingles as I had originally estimated. Regardless the need for more materials the roof is fixed for another year. Running ladders up and down the road Handy and I got them put away. And the ladder we failed to keep under control yesterday, I shortened it by about seven feet today. It is a bit more manageable now for next time! I had made that ladder out of real life 24’ fir 2”x4”’s. Wow, I doubt twenty four lumber of any kind's easily purchased now'a'days?????
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Lets see? I could rattle on about some significant or more honestly an insignificant topic either about myself, my battered life (fun with Herr Clink), or working with either an animal or minerals or both dealing with the farm. But what I really don’t want to mention is how thoroughly screwed up my photo handling has become with Photobucket’s help, I worry.
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Handy dropped off, wood-hauler in tow it was like I might just as well re-put the wood-hauler to use. I stopped by the tenant house, where oddly enough I was making fix the roof earlier today, then on the way towards home. The wood-hauler’s now standing motionless out in the darkness of night harnessed to Ugly already having taken on a number rotten chunks of fallen wood, some tree branches what had made up an originally in the way tree, and don’t tell anybody some pressed together saw dust I want to throw upon a burn pile with some more limbs needing picked up. Disregard the word “pressed” substituting something like “lumped” together instead.
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Oh yeah, I remembered the one topic I had forgotten three times my only remembering it twice to begin with. So, having had a good day I’m going to, by the power of my pen, happily close without having falling off a house roof all daaaay. BGKC.
Fernan

Early riser

3:00 AM, ...I'm wide awake (yawn).
Weather here, barometer rising, temps sposed be low 50's*. I can handle that.
Have bits and pieces brush scattered all across the realm needing picking and put on one burn pile before entanglement with snow removal equipment and feed loaded loader tractors.
Gee, I know there’s some vintage coffee around here somewhere. Just nuked a little it’d be as good as new… Near good as new anyway.
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After lunch with a determined lilt in my step I took out of here fixing to cram two/three days work into one afternoon. Getting started I got a pair of horses out-a the barn for support my about to clean up some the old corncrib lumber mess. One thing leading to another I got to suffering and thinking I might better get the ladder out of the barn for fixing the tenant house roof. One thinking was, “This nice weather ain’t gonna last much longer.” Sidetracked only for a moment I jumped in truck and headed for Handy’s Home and help. In moments he had my wood hauler emptied and we commence to go after ladder. I must explain I built this ladder out of 24’x 2”x4” rails ladder rungs 2x3’s in-letted every foot with a bonus one foot hook built onto the top end. Another thing I thought it weighed less than half as much fifty years ago when I made it for working barn roofs. Wrestled out of the barn, trying to put it up against the house, Handy and I lost it darn near flattening both of us. Time to reconsider Shorthorn farm MOO (method of operation) we went to shop for an extension ladder. This time leaning the upper section against house I hung the lower section over the house ridge. Surveying damage I made mental list tomorrow’s needs. Good thing, too, I was about to find out. Just shingles and nails. Tools were already on truck. First ladder laying kind-a askew where it had landed when it fell, Handy and I righted it laying for the second time over the length of the wood hauler. Getting past 3:00 PM I had hit my wall. The last lift that once upon a time lightweight ladder was near to doing me in. I was hurting, suffering, I was short of done in. I took handy home. Going home myself I found my walking erratic. I had to sit a spell. Only trouble was when I sat my conscious lights went out for a couple hours. Eyes opened a couple hours later, I continued/continue feeling drained. Well at least I’m all set for shingle making replacements come morning.
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Thought someone might have liked to see this radiator protective screen to filter off (out) weed seeds, grasses, fuzzy-wuzzy’s of vegetation’s productive crops and weeds. The rails are made from some pieces of aluminum siding I had talked a neighbor out of who was replacing this with the newer vinyl siding craze. The screening Was a road side shopping trash stop picking up a discarded patio’s slider screen door. The rivets were on hand. The aluminum I folded on our local racecar builder’s sheet metal break. Its fun making something useful from near nothing. Now, excuse me while I let out my hat band out

This gate having seen better days needed a complete rebuild. My getting out of that I managed to patch it up one more time adding to the assemblage a roadway sign post driven so to add some support to the closed closing end.

I fixed this poor thing this very AM. Should took picture of stellar repairs. There’s tomorrow.
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In closing not sure what all I wrote, I ain’t going back to look. I’m just lucky getting it writ without trying to edit it. BGKC.
Fernan

Headaches

Morning ramblings!
Frieda grumbles every morning about her poor sleeping. Her complaint? Having to get up for her water hauls! Sheesh, woman, it goes with the golden years territory.
Me? I woke up with a headache for every headache symptom I’ve ever had; The headaches: sinus, tired eyes, the lightening attacks to the left temple (I must have set wrong), the headache one to the back of my head (for out of whack sacroiliac (I don’t believe this one) , got-a be it’ll feel lonesome if it doesn’t join the others. Cure? I’m cutting out near daylight, cause when all else either catches up or fails, I generally feel better on my feet.
Dawn PB 142/89 and then PB 135/87 at daylight.
Was fresh coffee with homemade fresh backed cinnamon rolls hot out of the oven, for this morning‘s fare. They’s good!!!! Frieda insisting I was hungry. Naugh, no, no, that wasn’t it. Repositioning my butt on my cushion relieved the temple lightening strikes. Dispirit for further relief I took a couple hefty acetaminophens. Damn, I’m going to have to get my hatchet out and un-blister my last individually blister packed iron tablets. Grrrrr!
Darn, I wanted to slice some stumps, out in the pasture, off close to the sod. This so I might have dumped a load of manure on top the clumps to large to dig out. The manure idea was to accelerate with encouragement the stumps rot down. The way my head’s feeling I may have to postpone that act.
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Noon PB 133/86. I guess I’m alright.
Well, I didn’t postpone the stump cutting. I went, I saw, and they were just to blamed big (wider than a woman’s hips. I guess I’ll just have to let nature take its course. Including this disappointment the morning feels like it has been moving backward. All I managed to so far is drop Frieda’s wheel chair off in front of Ray’s garage for winter storage, and I still have to put it inside.
Stopped by the elevator looking for an answer as to what potassium nitrate was? The big man off on sick leave I didn’t get an answer. I was however gifted with a partial short palette of beef supplements.
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Coming in sundown, getting dark, taken rattlers, waiting a few-few moments before I tie into a beer. Gosh, I’m just as tired if I had put in a hard day. Bless his pea-picking heart, Handy kept me company and busy all the afternoon long. He helped me tow home the Murry lawn mower from daughter‘s house and put it away. Unneeded I was not going to force it to run for no more than a few minutes. He helped me unload and stack the wood I couldn’t give away. Then loaded the empty wood hauler out with his salvaged lumber from the old corn crib and parked it his driveway. I’ve got some cleaning up the old corncrib site and perhaps maybe enjoy a few little campfires. Law says I can’t burn piles building materials. Nothing’s said about what constitutes campfire woods.
Gosh, I’ve finished my beer annnd ready for sleep, sweet sleep! BGKC.
Fernan

Time

Where does it go?
I started extra early for me and y lunch time I ain't accomplished a durn thing.
TWP. code says I can't have an unlicensed truck on the farm. I'd fight it if truck was in operating condition. I can make it go but for a couple drawbacks no muffler and no brakes. Spent most of the morning looken for drawbar, the innocent faced heifers looking at me had a fence found down. Took timeout for fence fix. That fence taken care, I finally find drawbar up in barn rather than down in shed. Towing apparatus loaded up, before I could get away, Ray caught me. I had to look for and gather together his needs before bowing out of shop.
My goals: fill the onetime foyer with firewood and rig drawbar to tow old truck to Roy's farm-yard. No such idiotic idol truck law across the TWP border.
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It’s After dark!
Gosh, I had a good day, I thimk. Started my laundry dividing it into two loads. Some of it is now finished, What I didn’t get done today I’ll finish and add to the laundry some more come morning. I gave the ladies the longest northwest’s pasture this morning trying to stretch the hay-yard a fem more day. Switching on and off three tasks I made more headway rather than taking any one of them on through to the end. Reason, I didn’t have it in me to truck the vestibule full of firewood in one swell swoop. Darned if I ain’t already regretting piling this season’s firewood as I had next to (to close) the deck. I do believe I made better time loading Cushman and backing it up to the deck, then I had optioned unloading it by porch light after dark. One thing sure, my knees aren’t going to let me climb a half a rick wood in the house at a time. Two short stints partially piling deck oh so high with firewood, and two more short stints to carry it on in and pile it I got some firewood in.
Between wood toten times I started rigging tow bar to pickup truck. There was the loosening, the oiling, and the implement’s untangling. Some study for second starters I had to figure it out, how to rig it. Some of the implement manufactured, part of it my making fix and/or redesigning function it had been so long since I used it the contrivance I required some study moments before taking oodles of skin off my knuckles. When I did get to it it went rather smoothly. Most serious trick was sorting out the chains and specifically turning the welded side of the links out o avoid close tolerances jamming. One more trick easing the mounting on truck was the use a couple plastic buckets to hold it up while making hardware adjustments and alignments. All in all it didn’t go to bad. The parts oiling was likely the most useful help I had applied. Wing nuts, pins and hair pins sliding together and tightening up it’s all done but for the shouting when Ugly has it by the nose and leading it down the road.
Firewood in the house, tow-bar mounted on old truck I turned to chores.

That was a hoot. The ladies hearing the tractor were on their way home from as far as a half mile or more away. Before I had it delivered into the hay ring they were enough of then keeping an eye on me. When I had finished my part and left them to their evening’s munching. Ha! I had scarcely parked the JD and the ladies were vacating the vicinity of the fresh hay bale trucking their individual hulks back out to pasture. Tomorrow trash day I prepared the sacks to keep the cats and dogs out of them, and set them out to the road, plus some shop trash.
The weather about to turn I hooked up to the low-rider implement trailer, positioned it just right, and ran Frieda’s wheel chair (scooter) onto it.

By then I just barely had enough light to position and take up the hold down straps. Which reminds me I need to lubricate the ratcheting take-ups. Shucks I just remembered I need to bring my Murry lawn tractor home. BGKC.
Fernan

Indian Summer?

Such nice weather here I’m calling it my Indian Summer. All th wind and rain a few days ago just a huffing & puffing, pouring out rain, and blow drying All our colors are warmly covering the ground. With such beautiful warm colors over the earth how could it ever get cold, how? And chilled, how?
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I want to finish painting my sign posts this morning. Then be at least one dry. (He He) employ it as something informatively different. (he he) Happy Day to me. Oh, Happy Day to me. (He he) I’m working up something just a wee bit different. Oh shucks, I’m about to give it away. (E E E E) Later!
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At daylight
It’s foggy out, cancelling Frieda’s going to church to confess all my sins. I need to start the laundry, and having let the fire die last night the house so warm. I had better clean out the wood stove’s ashes. Sposed to continue 60’s* temps today. Near enough shirt sleeve weather for me. Gonna enjoy every degree as long as it lasts.
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After dark
Well, I managed to finish painting five my sign “Posts.” Here’s one clearly posted. }:^))

The big dummy has done it again…..Whatever that is? (HE HE)
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The tall Ollie’s in the shop.
The first silage cell has been opened down the road. I think I may start trucking some of that tomorrow. Why because right now I’ve no mud to contend with on either end. Annnnd, sooner or later I’ll be trucking silage in here whether I like it or not. Soooo, I might better take advantage the weather I got before I’m up to the tops my waders and just under my water wings in slurry. }:^((
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Accomplishment of the day? Good question. Tom and I uncovered the corn planter. We looked it over. AND in doing so, a whole lot of misunderstandings came to surface.
I had Hoped to put my roadster inside, but that didn’t happen. I’m about ready to call the cops and have an abandoned vehicle hauled away from where my roadster could have set inside for the last three/four years. What ticks me off, I don’t get nothing for having put up with it in my way, from a bunch of people and their combined lame excuses why it’s still there. If that ain’t bad enough I’m also about fixing to haul somebody’s abandoned furniture out to the road for whomever wants to pick over before trash pick up.
Like Forest gump might have said,…….That’s all I got to say on these subjects at this time.
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My question for the day! Has somebody written a “Hand book for cheating dummies” out there? BGKC
Fernan

Trouble Sewn

Before I was married, I was taking some time off in Michigan's upper peninsular, 36 miles from the nearest anywhere. Had decided to harvest some beaver drowned out cedars in a cedar swamp to take home and sell off as I needed them for customer fences, etc. Didn't have a chain saw. But had an axe, a bucksaw, and a small one man crosscut saw. climbing over windfalls every direction to another tree footing was hazardous. Was hazardous enough I miscued a swing with the axe, it bounced of a something I had watched close enough, rickashayed off another tree trunk, coming down across my left foot’s instep. Darn it hurt like hell but no damage to my 9” boot I went limping on with my harvest. A few moments later I wonder where I had stepped into some unseen water, left foot gotten wet. Unlacing my boot thinking I dump the water out. When I saw my crimson extract I retied my boot and headed for the cabin. There boot off I had simply split my hide with that axe right through the undamaged leather my work boot. By myself, to far to safely drive myself, I put my foot in the sink and washed it, got mom’s sewing kit down and commenced to sew myself up. Didn’t hurt a-bit. I likely put close to twenty little bitty stitches next to each other the length that cut. I put a kettle on the stove heated me some water adding salt. I soaked my foot for awhile. Feeling some exhaustion I laid down and took a nap. Later woke up, soaked the wound in the reheated salt water, had supper and slept all night. Next morning soaked feet in the lake only few yards from the cabin door, trying to take down the swelling. I spent that day hot and cold soaking foot. Went back to my light logging the last three days I was up there and brought a pickup load of cedar fence posts home with me. I healed and suffered no ill effects. When foot was seen by a genuine saw bones sometime later he commented on the fine sewing job. When asked “Who?” I told him my story.
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The tall one (1850 Ollie) was standing on all four its own shoes before I left for lunch.

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When I got back to the shop from lunch I went back to painting my sign posts. Something I had started while waiting for the others to gather their acts together. Obviously different, I’ll post a picture of one tomorrow positioned for it’s implemented purpose.
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This guy come sliding out of the shelled grain wagon when I was grinding grain Friday morning. It looks awfully thin for being where it had thought to have tried getting its fattening fill. As it is I guess that mouse experienced a crushing experience. (hehehe)

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This has been my day. Darkening at 5:30 I’ve got to hit chores earlier everyday for lack of lights on JD loader tractor. Got to work on them? Meanwhile, I got in late, tired, hungry and in no mood for the internet but rather bed. BGKC.
Fernan

my Quirk

Yesterday, I had written:
I've just come in and seen this.
What the?????
The US Army says 12 people have been killed and 31 wounded in a shooting rampage on the Fort Hood Army base in Texas. ...
Later, I wrote:
A major, a Muslim; these elements could start all manner of ill feelings, speculations, 9/11 memories.
Could be thoughts our homes may come under attack from within.
Worst part, hot heads wanting to get even with the wrong peoples, innocents.
What a mess.
And still later:
This could get interesting. FBI, CIA, and the PTA all ascending upon Texas to gather the facts. George could be in some real trouble they ever find out he'd tried to make a pet out of and train an armored armadillo a year or two back?
This morning’s writings:
I apologize…........for making light of the Horrific Fort Hood slaughter! rereading me this morning I find myself ashamed of me my words trying to fend off the reality just how tinder some ultra twisted minds out there are. Sons and daughters trained solders unarmed to even defend themselves. I'd liked to have gotten to shot the shooter’s privates off so that he'd been useless, and the mythical seventy two virgins spared. It's terrible as civilized peoples we can't bring back all that was lost to all those families effected. I am so sorry.
Lastly adding to my blog or journal:
I’ve exposed one of my quirks. I hope no one is offended my goofy-assed way of shutting out an evil deed. It could be my negative way of handling the sorrow I feel before I cry.
~~~~~~~~~~~
Today:
Out earlier than my usual time, Handy was here taking his corn-crib apart, right turn I found Tom doing his chores, at the shop found Ray unvisibly home. Tom and I open the shop and commenced to work on the ever taller 1850 Ollie. He started fooling with valve stem while I started bringing out the tools and equipment to pump the calcium chloride out of the inner tube. Lucky us the outer valve stem broke off inside the bigger tractor tire inner tube valve stem. I just knew it was going to happen. Tom gets into such a hurry sometimes. Upon examination Its breaking could have happened to anyone. I was glad it wasn’t me.
I got Ray’s dental picks and commenced to try digging the unthreaded end still stuck up in the fluid filling tube stem. A little imaginative digging as if it were somebody’s tooth belonging to someone I was mad at an “O”-ring seal came out. Argh, the bottom of the primary air valve stem was still in there. So, I retrieves a box of left handed drills, an unattached drill chuck for a handle and herd Tom explaining I was turning the drill backward. (smile) A few gentle twists I had a hole hand drilled though the inner valve stem. A hole large enough for a medium small sized easy-out I replaced it for the drill in the chuck. Again twisting the chuck left in my hand the last piece brass came out of the fluid’s valve stem. The opening was as big and clear as it were going to get I put these last tools away. While Tom went about his plan to start the 2150 for eventual spreading of lime this day’s afternoon, I rigged the calcium chloride pump and hoses for the emptying the tire’s ballast. Everything ready to go, I eased rotating the tire its valve stem down letting the water spill out into the pumps hoses. When the pump itself had water in it I started the pump. The pump requires water to work without the plastic and rubber it is made out of from melting together via fiction. The tire’s water pumped down to where the tire required even further lowering, Ray had managed to stick the JCB skidsteer in the barnyard mud again. It were time to mount the 4010 JD, the only unattached tractor in the yard and go pull him out. When finished with that, by prearrangement’s conversation it were time I took Handy to see Doc. My dropping Handy my next stop was gasoline. Good thing I stopped, Ugly had but a little better than a gallon fuel left in the tank. While I were in Otisville, only a couple more miles east I could easily without going no further out of my way pick-up some sewer drain piping. Only looking to help a Mike out of a couple pieces he gave me four pieces. What a deal. The price more than right I had enough pipe to make me nine “POSTED” signs to slid down over a “T” post strategically placed now’n’then where haven’t a fence post nor tree to staple an otherwise small sign to.
A can of paint, a fresh paint brush and the first piece of pipe I had of my own sitting/standing underfoot by my door to worm it, on it I painted vertically the word “POSTED.” Hmm, it didn’t turn out to badly. Supposedly above 50* the next three days I should be able to repeat my “POSTED” word three times covering three sides over the next three days nine times.
Welp, the foregoing pretty well covered my day. BGKC
Fernan

responsibilities

If there’s anybody I can’t stand it is a rumor monger, especially those jealous individuals who can’t stand to understand another person’s good fortunes. I have my wife Frieda, Herr Clink, and Her Mostess I’m most fortunate to have all three keeping me as each their own. As sure as I’m perhaps more broad minded than a many my contemporaries I shall continue to surround myself with dozens more ladies who abound around about me my in my neighborhood who so often take an interest in my welfare be it morning or night. I admit while my responsibilities are spread me rather thin some days I butt do my best.
~~~~~~~~~~~
Was a rather quiet day today, Spent most my morning preparing for the usual feed grind. Picked up supplements from elevator, my barn, and Ray’s garage. Picked up and delivered calf primer up to the barn. The rest of the grind was as before. Lunch was rather decent again as far as I was concerned. Frieda didn’t like it. That’a a switch. Yesterday , for each of us, it were the other way around. (smiling} I left lunch hungry yesterday, satisfied today. While I hadn’t planned it nor wanted it I napped about a half hour today. So much to do and I’m napping? In the shop I picked up and put away more undiscript stuff. But it’s good stuff and needed putting away for use another day. Even looking back into the mess I can’t see where I had even made a difference. Disgusted, yet happily finding some halter ropes I had found something to refocus my mind on. I repaired three halters and made another one. So far from a water front I’m relegated to doing dry-land or out-of-water marlinspike. I’m reminded all the fun filled years fishing them some hundred-fifty days fishing of each of them I were on the water. All I’ve got left of those years is a copy rules of the road, my log books, my framed motor Boat Operators License, and the boat manual for the old 28’ Chriscraft boat we fished off of. It’s gone a long time now havin’ rotted into oblivion. Everything else my beloved SIL sold for his own benefit. Serves him right, the scandal is locked up for the rest of his unnatural life in Jackson State Penitentiary. Couldn’t have happened to a nicer guy!!!!!!
I moved a feeder way out into the east in close piece of pasture. As the terrain turns to mud I can back my filling the hay feeder backing out of the guaranteed mud. Just had a thought. I just might live long enough to get this cattle feeding routine down done right. Still carrying wood on a daily basis, which I think I like better than whole Cushman loads whether I feel like it or not. Two arm loads aren’t that hard to handle on a daily basis. But just the same I really need to take parts of a couple days and fill the one time foyer full for the nasty days to come should I want a day off then. BGKC.
Fernan

Then - Now

A pictured reminder for this:
I liked an oval rug. Reminds me when all the splinters were still home many-many years ago. In those days we essentially used but one 8'x12' oval rug in the Honeymoon Cottage (1st home), and a 8'x15' in the Christmas House (2nd big old Victorian), In front of the TV for our Sunday evening TV night (winding down school night). All three our homes have had such pretty floors I'd been pure sacrilege to have covered the white maple hard woods (White maple 1st&3rd homes). Besides, carpets are so hard to mop.
Still, I pickup carpet remnants road-side-day’s handy-shopping-stops. So many the road fronting households workers are big city employed, leaving before light, returning after dark. I don’t remember how I was turned to, to supply the carpet chunks to short wall a many a tree stand for wind breaks and their own movements hidden.
On his own lands, one individual essentially built a tree house (complete with water tight roof) covered his floor with wall to wall carpet so he could silently strategically roll his office chair from window to window to window (3 windows). The one solid wall with door was built against our area’s prevailing winds. Two ropes, one trap door, I suspect, were used for hauling up his beer. Scary! Alcoholic beverages aren’t welcomed fare with the quests hunting our farms.
~~~~~~~~~~
E-gads, I slept from 8 last night till 6 this morning and I’m yawning. Frieda has told me she slept well and while I’m writing these lines this morning she’s almost next to me ka-napping. I didn’t want to believe this?
~~~~~~~~~~
The scales fixed, needing a new torsion bar cable. Works fine now. The Spring calves helping us test it out all day last Saturday.
href="http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v343/FMGruber/2009%20Shorthorn%20Country/?action=view¤t=FarmPics2009003-11.jpg" target="_blank">

That another load of wood another neighbor cut up for me while I were making a hog-trough for somebody else. Just goes to show, no good deed goes unpunished.
href="http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v343/FMGruber/2009%20Shorthorn%20Country/?action=view¤t=FarmPics2009001-9.jpg" target="_blank">

Fence windfall cut up, split, hauled in, unloaded, and stacked the last two mornings. Almost a cord.
href="http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v343/FMGruber/2009%20Shorthorn%20Country/?action=view¤t=FarmPics2009003-10.jpg" target="_blank">

Halleluiah! Finally got the hub reversed, a new wheel on, a new rim on, and a tall tire mounted, on what’ll be hereafter known as the tall 1850 Ollie.
href="http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v343/FMGruber/2009%20Shorthorn%20Country/?action=view¤t=FarmPics2009005-4.jpg" target="_blank">

Some recent days pictures, some words for today, I’m gone. BGKC.
Fernan

Then - Now

A pictured reminder for this:
I liked an oval rug. Reminds me when all the splinters were still home many-many years ago. In those days we essentially used but one 8'x12' oval rug in the Honeymoon Cottage (1st home), and a 8'x15' in the Christmas House (2nd big old Victorian), In front of the TV for our Sunday evening TV night (winding down school night). All three our homes have had such pretty floors I'd been pure sacrilege to have covered the white maple hard woods (White maple 1st&3rd homes). Besides, carpets are so hard to mop.
Still, I pickup carpet remnants road-side-day’s handy-shopping-stops. So many the road fronting households workers are big city employed, leaving before light, returning after dark. I don’t remember how I was turned to, to supply the carpet chunks to short wall a many a tree stand for wind breaks and their own movements hidden.
On his own lands, one individual essentially built a tree house (complete with water tight roof) covered his floor with wall to wall carpet so he could silently strategically roll his office chair from window to window to window (3 windows). The one solid wall with door was built against our area’s prevailing winds. Two ropes, one trap door, I suspect, were used for hauling up his beer. Scary! Alcoholic beverages aren’t welcomed fare with the quests hunting our farms.
~~~~~~~~~~
E-gads, I slept from 8 last night till 6 this morning and I’m yawning. Frieda has told me she slept well and while I’m writing these lines this morning she’s almost next to me ka-napping. I didn’t want to believe this?
~~~~~~~~~~
The scales fixed, needing a new torsion bar cable. Works fine now. The Spring calves helping us test it out all day last Saturday.
href="http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v343/FMGruber/2009%20Shorthorn%20Country/?action=view¤t=FarmPics2009003-11.jpg" target="_blank">

That another load of wood another neighbor cut up for me while I were making a hog-trough for somebody else. Just goes to show, no good deed goes unpunished.
href="http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v343/FMGruber/2009%20Shorthorn%20Country/?action=view¤t=FarmPics2009001-9.jpg" target="_blank">

Fence windfall cut up, split, hauled in, unloaded, and stacked the last two mornings. Almost a cord.
href="http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v343/FMGruber/2009%20Shorthorn%20Country/?action=view¤t=FarmPics2009003-10.jpg" target="_blank">

Halleluiah! Finally got the hub reversed, a new wheel on, a new rim on, and a tall tire mounted, on what’ll be hereafter known as the tall 1850 Ollie.
href="http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v343/FMGruber/2009%20Shorthorn%20Country/?action=view¤t=FarmPics2009005-4.jpg" target="_blank">

Some recent days pictures, some words for today, I’m gone. BGKC.
Fernan

Wood, wood, wood

I’m getting sick of dealing/handling firewood, tired, tired, tired! I started my morning unloading Ugly‘s wood load, even before I drove it out of the yard. Picked up Tom. The three of us wrestled the first new wheel onto the small 1850. Small 1850? All our 1850’s are basically all the same heights. This Small 1850 may well recalled the Big 1850 when we’ve finally tricked it out with the newer taller driver tires setting the whole of the standard Oliver tractor a couple inches higher/taller. Why this silhouette change? With the taller drivers, rear tires four inches in diameter taller the tractor will gain an extra tow inches height at the end of the drawbar. This’ll be a distinct advantage properly setting the 554 Vermeer hay baler pickup clearances that have been all to close to the ground limiting the full range of height adjustments will be improved with these new taller tires. By the time we’ve finished this small Ollie appearance it maybe well be called the Tall Ollie when it rolls again next spring. Getting back to the wheel it was found to be a heavier duty higher horse powered tractor. A thicker deeper wheel it was required a whole new set of longer mounting bolts. The waiting for bolts I was relegated to finding something else to do.
What I do? Silly me, I backed down to my barn, hooked on the woodsplitter and went looking for the last of the other day’s windfall. Besides becoming tired of handling firewood in one manner or another. First thing I found was I had eatened to much dinner. Reaching the ground wasn’t all that easy after trying to bend over the belly I had filled to full. The wood hauler still loaded and Ugly’s also loaded again. Will this season’s wood handling ever end. Hate the thought of it. Still got to make one more firewood gathering pass down along my sweetie and mine private romantic lane. BGKC.
Fernan

Look for the good

For a reflective look at the most recent weekend past, it is while I hadn’t managed to get out for some trick or treating of my own, the itty-bitty rug rat, linoleum lizard, splinters and little shavers had not come around here extorting candy favors from my household supplies. So luckily in another vane I didn’t have to pay off the little extorters with my favorite candies. A body has to simply look for the good out of any sit-she-ation.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Egads! It has gotten right light earlier this morning, by the way of the wall clock‘s silly face. Does this mean I’m relegated to an earlier start to my already over exercised days?
Now, for the rest of the morning I first delivered the homemade hog-trough. Then came back home dropping Her Mostess’s pilling it into Ugly on the ramp and carried a piece of cheap thin sewer pipe stuff up into the foyer I want to turn into a no hunting sign. Next stop I backed down to the barn and put some more treasured junk in the barn for safe keeping right where I could later forget where I had put it in the first place. The truck emptied out I had room in the cargo box for toting split firewood should I get to that today. The truck emptied would save me immediately having to hook up and move the wood-hauler to more convenient site for unloading. And did I? Nope, instead I headed out in the direction of the shop , near making it until I come up with the thought of checking out what kind of a treat a particularly Loopy lady may have sitting on her sideboard. Only there long enough for the new time to hurriedly roll onto lunch time I grabbed the opportunity and took it. Then after lunch found it raining out there (outside) I had gotten wet and cold enough last Saturday morning I didn’t want anymore of that. To avoid another soaking I held myself up in the house until I found such time I could go back outside without the fear of melting. I’m very sensitive that way…….
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Looking up over lunch it had started raining again. Talk about sinking into a state of moderate depression. It were an up hill battle doing my best to ignore a weathered low pressured headache. Maybe find something to do in the shop. Goodness knows it has been needing straightening up for months. On arrival Ray needed my standing by to retrieve him and his JCB skidsteer should he stick it haying his ladies. I took care of the three gates he used while also keeping an eye open for a communication’s cable repairman. Using the EzGo I was zipping outback then up front and again back outback, as the repairman showed up about the time we were doing afternoon chores early. So it was up to me to inform the repairman our situation before he’d find nobody home and go onto his way to his next call.
I hung around awhile my installing the 1850’s rear axel hub adding the new axel ‘U’bolt and nuts with a preliminary tightening. Going as far as I had Ray sore from a prosthetic refitting needed some rest and called his day closed to heal and catch up on denied phantom pains sleeplessness. No heavy work to be done on the 1850 I took it upon myself to find something else to do.
The rain seemingly easing I tagged on the woof splitter and headed for the front east pasture. Wood split and nearing loaded I was called. Somebody was bringing me a load of pumpkins. About the time the truck showed I had two arm loads wood to load. I finished my loading. I wasn’t going back for only a minute more time.
The pumpkins arrival and smashing was a success the ladies hesitating little getting into the pumpkins just as soon as I had let them into the pasture change. Everybody happy the pumpkin deliverers, the ladies, and myself; I was pooped and uncomfortably over heated. It was the moment I called it my day. Crossed up thinking I could back the logslitter down to the barn I was wrong. The splitter inside the scope of the rearview mirrors I couldn’t see its reflected image to back down to the barn. Twisting in the seat looking at firewood piled high the splitter was again out of view. So, I had to drive out the upper drive and come around in and up the lower drive driving head on towards the barn turning off the last moment. It were fun then leaning on that truck disconnected splitter hand pushing it up hill into the barn. Whew, I was glad this day was done.
On getting into the house I was just as wet all the way from inside out as I might have been had I gotten caught out in another rain. BGKC.
Fernan

All Saints Day

Yesterday wasn’t a bad day, just a long one. I didn’t even get in in time for belated beer:30. The weather gave us almost everything: damp over cast skies, 25 to 36 mph winds, rain showers soaking me to skin at time it was no time to take a break. Soaked in a cold rain I was near chilled to the bone. I didn’t dry out until lunch break between the bulls in the morning and the heifers in the afternoon.
We worked the spring calves through the chutes. All of them inoculated for old diseases prevention and the human equivalent of flu shots. Those with horns lost them even one baby with scurs (small unattached horns. Always liked those, kin-a cute in my mind on a cow. All the bulls were steered, but two lucky ones (one’s already called Lucky); the club calves banded, the commercial stock burdizzo clamped.
Personally I never felt a thing.
~~~~~~~~~~~
On my getting out on the opening day hunt in a couple weeks. My seasonally running tractors/equipment, the Cushman Truckster riding fences at least three times a week. Once parking so-so, and looking back at it off my elevated stand, three deer where nosing it. Positioned wrong I was unable to take a shot. Now, my knees paining me more each day, I am not climbing no more. I'm sitting tight between two pallet cardboards wired to the Cushman anymore where the wheels stop from now on. Around here, deer hearing the equipment often come out to investigate. I can be waiting for them.
~~~~~~~~~~~
Yeah, All Saints Day leaves me out as Herr Clinks repeatedly stressed out skillet’s image may a-test to. And then to worsen the little known holiday weekend this fool time change has got my system all followed up. I don’t know whether I am coming or going an hour early or an hour late.
About the most productive task I did today was replace the hot wires on the lower end of the east side upper barnyard lot. It still has a problem? I be hanged if I can find a dead short livening the wire when supposedly dead/disconnected. This is needing some additional thinking. I found one short today where somebody other than myself had tied an unauthorized link into the fence making a hot loop.
To bail water out of the little 1850 Oliver I had to removed the inner-tubes stored inside. One of them was booted. The inner-tube inside that tire it had become cemented to the perimeter of that tire’s boot. I-karumba! Thankfully, it didn’t but take a couple ounces of special lacquer based cleaning agent (thinner). Slowly applied around and around the two surfaces stuck together wait a couple cotton swabs. And with no apparent damage to either tire or inner-tube.
I made a hog trough for one neighbor. Darned if another neighbor didn’t come by taking my wood hauler trailer and brought me it back fully loaded with fire wood. And, I still haven’t gotten all mine what’s cut split and piled yet. I’d guess by now I should be near set for stove fuel through winter 2011.
Bless us everyone when we have days we can’t win. BGKC.
Fernan

10-31-o9 Halloween

Halloween has filled me with mixed emotions this year. A very late fall including the start of a late autumn. The late autumn of the fall season part has been alright with me. Extra warm days have felt good on my old hide my incessantly attempt to catch up slowen meanderings about the farms. This wet fall, the wettest I can remember is only just insisting starting to stir the mud in the yards. The Cushman already’s become near useless out and about the estates. The Cushman may very well be a handicap my getting out opening day deer season. This change of season has nastily touched by the grim something or other than the traditional reaper. Now this is something to either work on or conjure up another grim occupation?
~~~~~~~~~~
Frieda tells me she didn’t sleep worth a hoot. Myself, I had managed a good blaze in the woodstove and then immediately laid it out to soundly sleep for the next eight hours, stirring only to change sleeping positions. Damned if I don’t wish Halloween a holiday a man may wish upon. Me, I’d go for one more decadent time to indulge in tobacco, beer and a wild wife’s pursuit. A nature’s opening of a seductive scene on a picnic blanket, downing a bit of even home made Kickapoo juice swilled away and chasing the contracted miss removing her from her pedestal for unseemly pleasures play. Oh, how blessed my mind be all the grand memories I may privately replay behind closed eyes. Oh how we had put on happy faces, made happy talk, and taken on the hours exploring each other feeling on our way to some memorable earth shaking ends.
~~~~~~~~~~
OMG……My faith has been restored in man kind. I’m delighted to read I’m not the only one to pickup on the ABC’s savage portrayal of the Adkin’s blueberry farm practices.
I know I said it before and I’ll say it again, I wasn’t hurt a damned bit caught up in my parents entering me and my brother into the child work force.
To get back to the migrant work force when I was a kid I went to school with these migrant kids. I-chi-wawa, those tan skinned, dark eyed and haired Chicano girls were living breathing dreams to some of us preadolescent country boys. And the Chicano boys when they played ball they played hard. My country school mourned all their leavings when they packed up at the end of our harvest seasons and returned to Texas and perhaps beyond. I’ll tell it like it is. I’ve never known any of them that weren’t a hard working people, and when they party, they partied hard. I’ve met a lot of lovely senioritas. HmmmHm! They know how to take care of a man. And, There’s no better Mexican eating than eating in a genuinely Chicano rural community
~~~~~~~~~~~
We worked the spring calves through the chutes. All of them inoculated for old diseases prevention and the human equivalent of flu shots. Those with horns lost them even one baby with scurs (small unattached horns. Always liked those, kin-a cute in my mind on a cow. All the bulls but two lucky ones (one’s already called Lucky) were steered; the club calves banded, the commercial stock burdizzo clamped.
Personally I never felt a thing.
~~~~~~~~~~~
Passed curfew, past bewitching children of all ages hour, by the time we had finished late night chores It were to late for me to dress up, grab my shot glass and go trick or treating.

BGKC
Fernan