Sunday, November 7, 2010

An hour lost

Goofy time change again. This Fall fiasco has me feeling as though I’ve had a working hour taken away from me, my time stolen. I still think, consider, and say as long as the gooberment thought they were doing me a favor, to get me off the street via natures own natural curfew, they could have waited until the Thanks Giving weekend to do it. (grrr) A proper weekend to re-acclimate children and parents, including (my kind) the greats’ to the change the waking hours.
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As long as I’m up so early, here’s a couple snaps the latest gate posts requiring replacement. This project wont be the easiest.
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Note the deterioration the two wooden posts the right hand side of the picture. They’s only been there no more than 35 year. One’s a railroad tie, the other a portion off a utility pole. Sheesh, nothing lasts anymore! Plus, sure hope nobody else has been missing them all those years?
What make’s their replacement tricky at this time is the amount of dirt I must remove taking either one of them or stumps out of the ground. The holes rather large managing two post simultaneously may be a bit tricky. Additionally I want to tie these two posts together at their tops for extra strength each may give the other; and the post tall enough for such extra support will make them much handier carrying the electrical fence wire over all our heads, man and beast alike.
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This reminds me I need to fashion some sort of a windowed door upon a weather tight outdoor housing for the fence charger. The cause is to eliminate our need to enter and walk through the entire building when it’d be easier to see and service the electrical appliance’s working status in passing or stopping.
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And now, how about a busy picture of yesterday morning’s shindig.
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Let me explain it. The good looking gentleman on the left manning the gates in his barnyard tux just happens to be yours truly. The next gentleman moving left to right is Brother Raymond bent over recording the last man‘s (the vet his findings. The Vet is easily recognized his hand in his work up to his shoulder pregnancy checking the easily steadied lady before him in the heavily dutied head supported squeeze chute. The red framed thing is a grooming chute used for show beatifying the ladies for one as well as calves for 4H club shows. The ATV belongs to Tom to far to the right along with Keith to be caught in this picture where’s they’re rather busy encouraging the ladies to walk down the chute.
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Barry and I worked at this all day for a mere need to replace one simple little light switch. It was broken and did we ever go the long hard way all the way around to fix the all of what wasn’t broken.
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Only one day into the time change my mind and body can’t adjust to the simplicity of a single hour’s change. (BAH!) Time changes.
“Rainbows”
Fernan

Friday, November 5, 2010

Trying this again (maken it a two/fur tonite)

Just some Shorthorn country pictures…
Pictures form up and down our farms road.
At home
One of the Fall calve with her mom in my corral or holding pen.
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When the calf’s numbered, tattooed, and tagged they’ll be moved down to the tenant farm to winter.
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At the tenant farm
This imposing beast had her whole head into my drivers door not once but twice. Here she’s thinking about doing it again. I must have chased her around Greene three times before I had finally discouraged her looking for the owners manual on how to drive Greene. .
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This all went on while I was cutting the last two fence posts out of pile of utility poles. Yeah, I know, I didn’t think to take picture her then.
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Down the road
Another fall calf. This is one of two more there. The total count is now up to six fall calves.
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Again, once numbered, tattooed and tagged these ladies and their off spring will also be transported to winter quarters. Looking up to upper right hand corner looks like Mom’s dinner is on the way.
Life’s good.
“Rainbows”
Fernan

Dreaming’s

Dream’s, what do they mean? I’ll never forget one catastrophic dream that had involved me, that dream putting my life’s existence on the edge of survival having dreamt it three times the last time three days before it had actually happen Labor Day 1998, only it was my brothers life put in jeopardy when he lost a limb I a home-made chopper accident.
This last week I’ve had another repeated dream. I’m involved swinging a hammer in a very restrictive place having to do with something refusing to move either going together or coming apart. From aside my activity it might have looked like I had either lost the hammer it slipping from or thrown by my hand in disgust bouncing and clanking like across a concrete floor. Nothing nor nobody was hurt although some question was raised as was the act intentional or an accident.
Oddly enough while nobody else was with me to see it. Frieda was sitting inside the truck, her only help my traveling companion otherwise, keeping me on the road driving on the ball. It was while putting the trucks together as a single road’s traveling unit I was using a hammer my trying to persuade a bolt stubbornly failing to go through a series of holes for one bolt’s eventual pivoting motion to hold the whole thing together. Well, I didn’t have much room to swing a hammer in an upward motion, And I lost it slipping from my hand, not going far, looking like it was bouncing upon a crushed limestone covered driveway.
Oddly enough for another again, concrete is made from finally crushed limestone and fired to make cement which is a concrete ingredient. I’m wondering if my dream and our truck motoring episodes are relative? Just the same I’m watching myself the next few days having a couple very difficult gate posts to replace once or when I’ve an assistant’s help. This new work scene involves lots of infection potential rusty wire for hide scratching peeling back some ugly woven fence. A wire fence needing saving as hopefully next year we may bury a bigger, more or higher stronger PSI water line. That project will also include relocated water fountains and total replacement a couple critical fences with new.
Thinking about it. I aught to just replace the fencing and peel it back for the new water line when it’s actually done.
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Damn! A critical repair today lumped together with another involves a couple repair in the cattle sorting pens down by (by, in, under the lower barn roofs). Vet’s coming out to pregnancy check the ladies. These acts can determine who’ll continue staying around or getting an all expense paid trip to the live stock exchange social. Oh crap. A hammer’s required again?
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For our yesterday dual trucking adventure, passing through the town Vassar, Mich. They’ve already gotten their civic Christmas decorations up. Am I moving slower or is the world moving faster? Is this civic or commercial ploy suggesting it’s time I get in a Christmas mood sooner then the later when I was a kid.
I remember as a kid Christmas preparations slowly started right after Thanks Giving slowly building up to speed the last couple weeks before Christmas. I remember shopping was always the most fun in-on the snow. Frieda and I married in the snow, shopping with her-for her in the snow was a gas. Newly weds in December snow covered fresh daily the entire holiday season no stage could have been more perfectly set for two young lovers. Out on the town her wearing smile behind rosy cheeks, he a walking tall boy turned going broke dressing her gentleman. How I liked watching her modeling this’n’that for me, my choosing for her, her married wardrobe. She’s enjoyed wearing for me all the selections I had-have chosen for her. She has indeed been a pleasure to dress and undress for over a half century.
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By myself some challenging rigging and blocking I replaced what’s ordinarily difficult bolt in a combination pen/squeezing gate down in the barns chute complex. I also re-nailed a barn door opening shut that was supposed to be another avenue to a someday inside working shoot plus a couple indoor pens.
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Got to work fences the kids had plowed out this last month. One of them little jobs needing done before the ground freezes. Reminds me I had better set my “Postings“, and perhaps this winter’s needed temporary close in fence posts.
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Having fixed the squeeze-sorting gate I had noticed somebody-everybody had failed to tell me the alley leading into the chutes were coming apart one of the cattle panels already badly bent. Shucks, everything I needed was in the shop. I tried calling Handy, to see if he needed ride for anything over at the crossroads? No answer. Non the less I stopped. Seems his mother is in dire need of a phone ear rectumy. Knocking on the doors, all afar. I got him just before he’d slipped their supper into the oven. He came along for whatever ride I had in mind. WE stopped by the shop, my digging out more tools and fence fixing materials before going on. Once we got there I mailed out a couple manuals somebody wanted more than me. Got milk, and gassed up Greene. On way back one more stop for forgotten bolt cutters. Knowing that bent cattle panel was going to defeat 90% of any attempt on my part to fix anywhere near right, I quickly volunteered Handy’s help. I’ll bet we weren’t 15 minutes stapling it all back onto a railroad tie post, then took him home. Thanks again, Handy! Boy! What extra hand can accomplish!!! Getting back again I wired some more wire, drove a few more staples enough, the fence is better than it was, was about to really fall apart.
After noon turning into evening my ears feeling the evening chill, the time was close enough to call. Besides I’ve got nothing to be ashamed of if I had a time card. While the day was cloudy it was still a good one in my book.
“Rainbows”
Fernan

Thursday, November 4, 2010

truck’s home

Leaving just after light was home before twelve noon. An 1 1/2hr going, an 1 1/4hr hooken them together (including jockeying motors for 2 bat jumps), 2 ½ hr return trip, ¼ to divide. Was a four and a half hour round trip door to door. The trucks hooked together there, taken apart here. Trucks running so good together, a SMV on the last one, I drove them home via state roadways all the way. The Battery jumping was the craziest, jumping the Dumpy truck, then Greene lights on it’s battery died, Dumpy truck returned the favor. Thought I’d near never got that front center bolt through all the holes, alignment so touchy park letting Greene roll a mere I/2” was a pain in the rear. Finally got it throwing a 2x4 under Greene’s front tire. Sheesh! Why can’t things just be done easily.
A shammitch, slaw and grape juice for lunch. And in as much as I was no longer out terrorizing the rest of the motoring world, I put in shop time. 1618 Case skid-steer’s flat tire fixing inner tube here, an Ollie to break down the tire bead, I tried to put the two together. Bro’ had brought home the most useless inner-tube I have ever seen. I don’t believe there is any way, shape, manner, or form that’ll let me install the craziest long metallic to be bolted down valve stemmed abortion I’ve ever witnessed. That inner-tube has got to be exchanged for one that’ll fit or at least work!
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Here they are Greene and Dumpy truck all hooked up. We hadn’t traveled a half mile my checking it all out. Checked it out again another four mile down the road as I was about to pull out on State Road. In the back ground is just mere sample the hundreds of square miles devoted to raising sugar-beets. I believe there’re three Pioneer Sugar Processing Plants in Michigan’s thumb area. So many sugar beets grown in this area there are sub storage stations to handle and hold all the yearly crop raised.
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This is the towing apparatus I’d, saved from the clapper. I’ve rigged it for either pushing or pulling (so to speak) upon a motor vehicle’s front or rear bumper. We’ve covered a great many miles together over the years. Been right handy!
Home, in, and contented.
“Rainbows”
Fernan

Wednesday, November 3, 2010

Snakes, animals, such

Been talk over the net about killing snakes and eating lately. I’ve got to make one-something perfectly clear first. My dad put it to me stress the fact that I wasn’t to kill anything I weren’t going to eat. While there are a many different philosophies covering lives and deaths I once…a-err…twice seen him break his own rule. Both times I seen him do it in or on a dump site (one those places some many folk at one time use to dispose of their trash. I saw him actively drop his philosophy with a strong forked stick the forks but mere stubs using that stick around about a (get this) a non existent Michigan rattler (there’s been spread some untruth about Michigan ain’t got no rattlers, told for to long a time). One them snakes was just a little ways south of where I’m living here upon, one them once upon a time, TWP dump’s near Royal Oak, Mich.. Boy was he ever mad at it telling me to stay away while he performed his killing deed. Oh tes, that slippery creature had the renown rattlers. While that was once, there was a second time when after we had all picked up and moved back Michigan’s west side to where my folks remembered their best growing up times, Dad did it again only that time it was upon a private dump site down in our farms wooded ravine. The place a existed a heavily clay lined oil drillers sludge pit. Yup, it was another forked stick and pocket knife with which he preformed his murderous deed. The head cut off, the rattlers saved to dry, the only next honest thing he didn’t do again, he had neglected to bring the middle that snake home for eating. It may be he hadn’t heard those creatures were good eating. But, then again, why were those slippery snakes homesteading dumpsites as they had. Could it have been they were doing what was in Mother Nature’s plan they help mankind ridding those places where vermin they attract multiply.
The farm crops harvested off the fields, leaves fallen off most (save the oaks) trees, deer in the rut, hunters in the woodlots and fields wild life is on the move. I’ve had to slow it down this road between the farms never knowing when a deer or more will jump out. I also have to laugh for as I was planting to the north end that field, some fifteen turkeys having strutted out upon that field, realizing they weren’t alone, when seeing me the whole lot immediately crouched, and as like slinking, lowered themselves as if making themselves invisible and shyly hurried to the far side the field as they saw it. Animals are so entertaining wild or domestic. The new calico kitten we’ve taken in is an entertainment committee all by herself. Perplexed, we still haven’t found a name for her she either likes or responds to.
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The rye planted…..Nobody healthy enough to go with to bring home new truck. Frieda putting life in my hands. We're going after it tomorrow, towing it home. Gonna be a trip liking a tail wagging a dog. Break neck speeds may get all the way up as high as between 15 and 20 mph on back roads.
Anybody wants to help, wish Frieda a bountiful amount of Good Luck.
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Back to basics…Was nice day all day. Morning frost so thick It looked like a measurable snow? A gallon of luke warm water was my windshields choice of refreshments. Skidsteer took two does to thaw both sides clear. Watered the cow, even got her own hay bale and bale cover. No more hauling hay from down the road. I can peal her one from my side the fence. Put more stuff away trying fine Greene’s floor. Didn’t do much good more than half the stuff I’ll need for this weekend’s gate post changes. I cut some more gate posts, hauled, and spotted. Hit back for financial help planning. Whew! The day was shinning brighter when I left there. Looks like plastic debt is under control. It’ll be even more so when I cu out Frieda’s beer and I take up drinking my home made red pop taking up dungeon space.
Reloaded truck with towing paraphernalia for tomorrows short trip retrievable truck trip. The goofy tow bar was in the next to the last place I was going to look. Whew, close call, without it I might have had to shanghais me a driver. Plan is to leave here before light. Hopefully be back by noon. Safety chains loaded as are assembly safety links. The universal SMV was the easiest of all to find as I’ve been putting it back in the same place for years. The Tow-bar, I couldn’t remember the last time I used it having no idea where I had put it to be handy. Having a mind working like a steel trap doesn’t hoit. What does I can’t remember where I had left my key (grin)
“Rainbows.”
Fernan

Tuesday, November 2, 2010

Tummy Good Edgemacation

“Hey, borscht is beet and cabbage soup, right. Around here corn bread goes with soup.” and “Just don’t forget the sour cream.”
What a body don’t learn snooping around peaking into other peoples internet kitchens. Frieda says, “Sounds good. I’ve got to make some that.”
Many Thanks Misery. However hope you don’t mind our making but one slight change? We scrub our root vegetables so as no to loose the vitamins and minerals on their earth contacted skins. And, perhaps by some kind of a mind quirk I swear the veggies taste better whole (with their hides on). How, do I like corn bread? Anyway Frieda wants to make it with or without the many in or on ingredient options.
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It had not been a pleasant morning. Don’t get me wrong the morning’s weather was bright and biting day’s start, warming beautifully towards noon. But it is not the weather I am referring to. Up and out early enough to accomplish something in a big way went south. Argh! When I found I had only planted one bushel rye seed to the acre I decided to switch tractors for good reason. Starting the 4010 JD it needed help before it replaced the Ford. Plan was reseed yesterday’s foul up. Leaving warming JD behind I took Greene and wagon load of seed to the field. I brought the little Ford tractor back for the running JD. The seeder filled, my taking it for a turn around the field, the iron disk loaded up with dirt because the soil was to wet. Okay, checking JD’s fuel it could use some. Difficulty getting on and off the wagon I also wanted a step ladder. Disconnecting wagon my doing a “U turn, driving to close to the edge of the opposite side of the road Greene slid sideways as deep as it could into the ditch. Whoopee!.
Disconnecting the JD from seeder I drove the tractor home for a tow strap and chain (as I could not find a clevis). I grabbed me a step ladder as well hanging it on the JD’s top link for drive back. The strap and chain set for pulling Greene. With the JD’s help Greene came right up out of the ditch looking like gray muddy Hell having slid into the neighbor’s gray water. in my eyes. Oh Well. About the time I’d gotten everything back in order two volunteers showed up to assist me out of the ditch I no longer needed. Tom’s arrival on the scene I let him start the re-seeding while I lunched.
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My getting back I was given the tractor back. Tom filled the seed hoper s couple times, went for diesel , and with a word or wave he I could only guess he’d split for more deer hunting. I finished seeding the field by myself. Remarkably the acreage and the seed came with a mere half bushel seed left over which I run out saving me cleaning out the seed boxes. Yup, required seed for acres planted just right at 5:30PM.
The seeder prepared for travel I brought it home. Took my rattlers, set for 15 minute, and walked back down the road for Greene. When a ride showed up I was but feet from where I need to step into field for truck and wagon. Feeling quite tired for lack a better descriptive word. I tidied thing up. It was close enough for a full day put in, rather than arguing with myself I quit. It wasn’t long before it were getting dark.
“Rainbows”
Fernan

Monday, November 1, 2010

Drool, So Drool

With deep respect, she gets in her little digs. (grin)
Waking this morning at the hour and moment I’m supposed to be downing my rattlers (pills for those needing a translation) I brought my blanky with from bed to chair to stave off e cool chill the woodstove hadn’t taken off. So, taking to my chair wrapped in my blanky all over, including over the head liking my blanky to a cocoon, Her Mostess, said to me, “Now, you look better.” I get no respect! That “Now, you look better” phrase has been mine for years whenever Her Mostess has requested I cover her up against any chill waiting to come along my lovingly completing that act including her face‘n‘head now‘n‘then. (hehe) Oh well, let her get even. I’m tall enough to take it. (grin)
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Sparky’s Birthday’s got me thimking
Sparky
» and he wants a new grill
» one that he can pick out himself, and that's what he'll get...:-D
Myself having a couple instant thoughts along these same lines. For my latest Cushman acquisition completely missing it’s entire front end sheet metal housing, Sparky’s request has me thinking along a another idea line. I’d design and fashion an acceptable Cushman grill what not only be handy for knocking a deer down but also capable of roasting it to a turn.
OMG. This concept would also come in handy for Ron, the automotive deer slayer!
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A chilly 28* this morning. My heading ice covering the barnyard creek, no worries. There aren’t any fish in that creek anyway, a couple frogs maybe, but no fish.
Weather’s so changeable if I’m not putting it on, I’m taking it off. Coming home tonight, changing, making myself comfortable, I found myself so cold I couldn’t touch myself
With Toms help welding together a couple pieces of metal for me to make a through the whole post fence post gate hinge I finished a third troubled gate post. Phooey, Still have one or two more to go. When next I walked into the shop, Bro’ laid it on me about some missing drill bits in a couple drill indexes. I returned fire, “How should I know, you’re the one using them drilling and tapping all the holes lately.”
Here when the original planting issues came around to be taken care of he throws a wrench into it. “The field needs dragging.“ I countered with, “What’s your plan? Planting rye next spring. Somebody around is going to have to do it today. This is our last window before rain day after tomorrow.” I planted rye this afternoon on a well disked, un-dragged field. But Bro’s far from through with me. He talked in riddles over my seeding per acre. He takes the owner manuals and puts them away without my seeing most of them so I’m disadvantaged the total workings this planter I used today. It was until late afternoon did I figure out what an oddly mounted meter was for and how it worked. A third of the field sewn with half enough seed I’ll have to go over it again. What a waste of my time and our fuel to do a half fast job of it. Tomorrow’s planting will include making right the first third and the last two thirds correctly once and for all.
Damn, You suppose I got on the wrong side of the boss about the last planting, or had I used or taken the wrong approach. Siblings? Bah!
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I’ll be glad when this push is over. I want to make arrangements to bring new truck home, and, line up an AWOL volunteer for another gate post setting. This next gatepost needs to be an extra tall one to carry a hot wire overhead. No getting out of it. Farm life keeps a body always thinking,
“Rainbows.”
Fernan