Bits and Pieces

[calfoxwc]

It's been 4 months now since shoulder surgery. They say I'm near 80% completely recovered and will

get complete/total recovery soon. Still go to phys therapy three times a week - it's going really great.

I have a fear of mud now. @@ And, they know this stuff, the medical folks... it takes about 5/6 months to get back.

 

Heard coyotes tonight way out in the woods. I have to hunt them - they are dangerous in packs. There's

only three/four around this area that I have heard about. but still...

 

We're getting a 88% efficient fireplace insert installed tomorrow. We never have used our pretty fireplace as it

was put in when we had our home built decades ago. But the insert blows out the heated air, and doesn't let

cold air in, nor hot air escape. They can cut heat bills down hugely. I think we are headed for inflation bigtime...

including energy prices, which will make it hyper-inflation. I hope it doesn't happen...

 

But we have decades of hardwood to cut/split/burn, without a dent in our woods. Not that we are going off the grid,

but still...

 

Had to get our Honda ATV fourwheeler fixed... the centrifical clutch wore out. We found out that when we putter around

at low speeds, or use it for pulling weight in the wagon... etc... we should have it out of auto and on "standard" shifting.

Now they tell us.

 

I can use my arm to get up out of a chair, and drive the lawn mower with no problem... have to wait two weeks to

see if my wonderful expert surgeon will clear me to use my chain saw. Need to cut down a bunch of wild cherry trees

for the farmer next door.

 

Next spring, after planting, maybe before, we're going to put up a chicken coop. I'm still researching how it should

be designed. And I want to get a beehive and start raising bees for honey.

 

I've been meeting people with a lot of leaves, and they have given me maybe a hundred bags of leaves so far.

I need them for the garden planting rows, with horse manure compost, to be tilled into the soil to enrich it.

 

Have a wood burning stove in the greenhouse now. That should cut down on propane and electric heat...

 

Every time I walk out into our woods, I see squirrels. Haven't found any hunters, nor heard any. Deer season comes

up in about a week, I think. I can't wait to try out my super warm winter boots. This year, I don't carry a rifle with me.

I carry my 9 shot 6" barrel .22 pistol. It has to be clearly seen in it's holster.

I haven't gotten around to getting a concealed carry permit. My goofy brother in law says to not get one, or "they" will

know I have one.

Well, I think I need a cc permit, so I can carry one when I want to. I can't carry concealed even on our farm.

Not that I care. but you look at Greece, Britain and France... if we have hyper inflation here, well, I want to

carry a gun when we go out, or I'm out back.

 

I still love our Silverado. The rear gas tank holding strap broke because of rust. So, I went to the dealer and

bought a new one. Twenty seven stupid bucks. Came back home, and spent two hours trying to install it.

No dice. Wife came home, and helped me, but it was impossible. You can't get it pushed up to meet

the threads with the bolt.

So, I went back to the dealer. Service manager says it would cost $45 bucks to simply put the too short a bolt in.

I explained I had it installed, but the bolt is too short, and/or the bracket can't be pushed up high enough.

Hey, we used a jack... but it just wouldn't go up enough to start the thread.

 

The jerkface still said fourty five bucks. So, I said I probably would buy a new truck elsewhere and left.

well, I went to our favorite tire dealer, and the manager had one of his service guys come out and he

had a hell of a time... he couldn't do it either. Until, he laughed and went and got a longer bolt, and it fixed

just fine.

It took seven minutes. I tipped him ten bucks, and the manager said no charger outside of that.

You bet I'm going back there in a few weeks, and buying two new snow tire radials.

 

We still have to get our plywood flooring up into the loft to finish the floor of the barn. I tried tieing a rope around

one of the sheets, and threw the rope up into the loft. I couldn't pull it up with my one arm. Well, I'm not 17 anymore,

by decades, but even when I was out of basic, I don't think I could have done it.

I only stupidly tried because I didn't want my wife and her girlfriend to try it.

so, I have to rent a freakin scissor lift jobbie to get that wood up there. It's 14 feet. The tractor front end loader

isn't high enough.

 

I have more work to do, than you can shake a stick at. But next year, we will know what we're doing, and

be more efficient.

I am never going to walk in mud, especially after dark, ever again.

 

How about those BROWNS !