Good morning!!!!

[Eric Salop]

Good morning. The light was just beginning to fade when I got home from working away last night. I enjoy these occasional glimpses of my old life and it certainly makes me appreciate living in the country more, just a pity I can't do all my part time engineering work from home, I hate travelling.

Yesterday I thought it would be an easy drive back with empty roads, because many people would be staying in to watch the Wales v Portugal on TV, however some were taking the opportunity to get out and drive crazy on the motorways, with bunches of cars racing one another and passing far too close for comfort. Didn't help when every radio station seemed to be playing the worst music from the 80's, or more modern stuff that my dad would have said had "got no tune". I must be getting old !

 

[Ed of all trades]

Thunder to the north, but according to radar won't hit here.
Sitting outside at the farm after my Mom's funeral today.
Turkeys just crossed the field, didn't seem too bothered by us. Expect to see the deer soon.

Rough time, prayers being sent for you and the rest of the family. Ed

 

[ronjhall]

Drinking first cup of coffee. 65° with clear skies this morning. Heading to 90° with partly cloudy skies. Another day passed without any rain. Maybe tomorrow. I guess it's a good thing not needing to cut grass during my recovery. But the place sure is brown. Another day of walking and resting.
Txdon, more best wishes for Whipper.
Eric, welcome back.
Buppies, enjoy the vacation.
Drew, good idea on the socket tool.
Buckeye, may your mother RIP. Lost my mother last year at 96.
Good Morning All.

 

[Ed of all trades]

Good morning all. 72 this am going to 89. 50% chance if thunderstorms this pm. Radar looks like we could get some of that big one that is in Kentucky. Going to the grocery store early and then I hope to take a hint from Don's dog Whipper, enjoy the AC. Wife might even talk me into getting in the pool today. You all need to be careful with the heat today. Have a good one Ed

 

[Thomas]

62F upper 80's touching 90 for high maybe...maybe chance shower fingers cross.
Soon off to the grind not sure what I'll putter on after work this evening.

Enjoy the day all.

 

[daugen]

Buckeye, sorry for your Mom. Mine died at age 51 from cancer when I was 21 so my memories aren't as long as yours, which I truly regret. I hope your Mom will continue to be with you in the ways that parents do. I'm headed up to PA this weekend primarily to see my 90 year old MIL. I made a promise to my late wife I would keep in touch, and I enjoy the visits. She will make me a white bread sandwich with the edges cut off, tomato aspic something and home made cookies she will likely seriously undercook.
All the same for years, all good.

73 going to 94 today, another heat warning day, need to stay in the shade for sure. But dry until more rain tonight. Heat looks like it will continue through the weekend and then get more normal next week. I hope all you Southwesterners are careful in the heat. Mother Nature's frying pan...

With the tiller finished, today I get the orchard sprayer going, the big pull behind one and make up 50 gallons or so of spray which should
last me the rest of the year. Just small trees...but the bugs are back and I need to get cracking. Or spraying.
I counted 9 trees with fire ant mounds at the bottom, which I dispatched to chemical end yesterday. A bit worried that nasty ant poison gets into the root system of the trees. The ants just love the disturbed earth and mulch; sometimes hard to see if they are in there until you pull a weed and a second later one of them bites me on the wrist. Nasty bugs.
Am trying to spray mostly neem oil, mineral oil and a small amount of "normal" fruit spray. The oil smothers all (hopefully) the egg sacs laid under the leaves by
the bugs trying to establish residence.

And I still have all those sunflowers to hoe. Maybe I'll put the kid on that. First he has to finish the lawn while I watch him fairly carefully. Did my best to get him to wear a hat yesterday but he just doesn't like the feel I guess. I told him to tell his Mother I tried...

 

[wngsprd]

Ed, getting up to 89 in the valley...you've gotta take that swim! Gonna hit 93 here today. I might look for a swimming hole for Coco and me.

Ron, sorry you're not getting that rain you need...we didn't get any yesterday, so mowed the lawn, at least got half done. Maybe mother nature is rationing the rain until you heal so you don't have to mow twice a week like I'm doing .

Went to the Kubota dealer for air filters and radiator hoses...figured that since I planned to change the anti-freeze and the hoses were 12 years old, I'd replace them...there are 4...the dealer had to order all of them...even had to set one of them up on their new computer software - "put it in the system." I said, "sounds like nobody ever replaces these...maybe I should pass, too." But ordered all of them, coming in Monday...he said take the filters now, pay for all of it on Monday when you pick up the hoses...can't remember that ever happening...usually it seems to be "pay first or we won't order it."

Yesterday was the day that comes each summer - when the all the local honey bees find our hummingbird feeders...up to now, only the bumblebees have moved in on the feeders, and they are pretty tame...just blow them off when you need to refill or wash one of the feeders...usually by now the yellow jackets and even bald heads start taking swigs. But we have at least a hundred honey bees now and some chased me for at least 50 yards when I mowed up next to one of the feeders yesterday. I'm glad we have them, but they are a pain right now...although not like Don's killer tree bees.

 

[Buppies]

74 this morning big storms rolled in yesterday afternoon late after high of 98 sand so hot it burned the bottom of your feet. Got everything put up before storm started so enjoyed the light show from inside. A beautiful double rainbow before next round of storms moved in. Really enjoying this time off

Drew be careful traveling this weekend

Best wishes for a speedy recovery for Whipper

BuckeyeFarmer prayers for you and your family in your loss

Ron continue to heal rain will come your way soon enough probably in the form of big storms as the weather battle zone moves north

Thomas putter is good a good stogie even better

 

[wngsprd]

Drew, in this month's free Tractor Supply magazine "Out Here" they have an article on fire ants with a "management plan." Do you require your teen age helper to wear safety or sunglasses and hearing protectors? I started doing that when I was about 30 years old, and made my sons all do it. I think it's helped prevent hearing loss and I know I've had a number of small items bounce off my glasses over the years.

 

[daugen]

Drew, in this month's free Tractor Supply magazine "Out Here" they have an article on fire ants with a "management plan." Do you require your teen age helper to wear safety or sunglasses and hearing protectors? I started doing that when I was about 30 years old, and made my sons all do it. I think it's helped prevent hearing loss and I know I've had a number of small items bounce off my glasses over the years.

He's been offered everything, glasses, (he wears his own well made sunglasses, ok...) hearing protectors stay on mower, he chooses not to use, and he won't wear a hat.
Ahh youth. Invulnerable...nor does he wear gloves. I'm trying not to be a hard employer and micromanage, but I am, as you know, safety oriented.
He's going to get a good dose of poison ivy here and then he'll wear gloves. He isn't touching anything more dangerous than lawn mowers and string trimmers, and he has several years experience with both. Anything new I add to his ok list, like a chainsaw...I'm going to require gloves. He shows up neatly dressed in long pants each day, work clothes, and with decent boots. In fact he is out there now, taking me up on 7am starts if he wished to beat the heat and get out by noon.

His sister is in the hospital and he is worried. Sick and no diagnosis yet for days.
I might tell him to finish just the mowing and then I'll pay him for the rest of the time to go see his sister.
Every day is an opportunity for kindness.

 

[ronjhall]

He's been offered everything, glasses, (he wears his own well made sunglasses, ok...) hearing protectors stay on mower, he chooses not to use, and he won't wear a hat.
[/I]

Surprised he will not wear hearing protection. My grandson goes looking for them. The ones I have, have FM radio and a way to hook up to his iPod. I do not wear a hat. Sweat to much. But I have a full head of hair that turns pure blonde from the sun.

 

[daugen]

Surprised he will not wear hearing protection. My grandson goes looking for them. The ones I have, have FM radio and a way to hook up to his iPod. I do not wear a hat. Sweat to much. But I have a full head of hair that turns pure blonde from the sun.

After two melanomas carved off me, I see a fair hair kid without sun protection and it sure looks like me in my youth.
Not good but yes he has plenty of hair. My hats are ventilated on top, built for the heat.

helper just told me his sister was just moved to ICU on the fourth day and he was worried. Glad I made
the offer. If he had told me his sister was doing better, I would not have.

 

[farmer2009]

70 this morning and headed to 91 today. 2.2 inches of rain yesterday afternoon and over night.

Wife has a doctors appointment today. But will be working on bathroom before we go. Hopefully I can get some of the plumbing going. My helper scrapped the popcorn ceiling yesterday while I pulled old trim and window and door casings. Not going good as start time is pushed back to when boy and wife wakes up. I'm pushing for the master bed and bath to be done before new baby. I'm not concerned with the baby room. Our 3 year old hasn't spent a dozen nights in his yet.

Drew. I offered ear protection to my helper and when I showed him the radio in it he took to it. Even wears them when noise isn't a problem just to work with the music. As long as he works I don't care. I keep two sets hanging on the roll bar of the ranger. He knows where the "ears" are kept. I wear safety glasses as sun glasses so I never think of them but he will ask for safety glasses if he thinks he needs a pair. I provide clear and tinted.

Buckeye. Sorry for your loss. Enjoy the time at your dads and with him.

 

[RedNeckGeek]

Didn't help when every radio station seemed to be playing the worst music from the 80's, or more modern stuff that my dad would have said had "got no tune". I must be getting old !

That may be a universal effect of moving to the country, Eric. I've come to hate the urban experience as well: Inconsiderate and down right dangerous drivers, traffic jams at all hours, crowds, not to mention the utter crap that passes for music coming out of the radio. There's no radio reception here in the canyon, and I have to admit that's one of the things about city life I don't miss at all. Surprising, since I'm one of those people that has music playing during most of my waking hours. But now, even when I'm driving and have good radio reception, it's tuned to a classic rock station or more likely to talk radio.

Hey, get off my lawn! :laughing:

 

[txdon]

Good morning! 79˚ and heading into the 100s every day for the next two weeks. Can't wait till August - our hottest month.

Whipper is doing good with her new training of being an inside dog and outside only on leash. The Vet said the skin was stretched tight to cover the hole and she has to take it easy so she will not pop her stitches. If she can be good till Monday she will be over the hump.

The Yamaha Adventure 2+2 is bing looked at for a transmission leak. There is a possibility it was just overfilled at the factory and now with the heat the fluid expanded after being driven. I'll know the results of the warranty work tomorrow. I was thinking that finally something is free to fix until that trailer tire blowout.

 

[RedNeckGeek]

Good Morning! 64F @ 6:00AM. Sunny. High near 90F. Winds S at 10 to 15 mph.

90F may seem hot to a lot of you, but after several weeks of 100+ temps it's quite a relief. Looks like it'll be that way here for most of the next week. Hope to finish sanding on the van interior tomorrow; this morning I need to get out and spray weeds before the wind starts to blow too hard, then it's off to town for an ophthalmologist appointment and groceries. I'm also going to touch base with the mechanic to nail down how he wants that cylinder head cut up. I thought I understood what he wanted last time, but now I'm not so sure and email/text/phone communications so far haven't provided sufficient clarification. Almost all the engine parts are now in hand, so getting the heads done has turned into the long stick in the tent. Even so, it looks like it'll still be a month or more before the engine is completed and is ready to be installed, so I have more time than I thought to finish the body work.

 

[toppop52]

Good Morning! 64F @ 6:00AM. Sunny. High near 90F. Winds S at 10 to 15 mph.

90F may seem hot to a lot of you, but after several weeks of 100+ temps it's quite a relief. Looks like it'll be that way here for most of the next week. Hope to finish sanding on the van interior tomorrow; this morning I need to get out and spray weeds before the wind starts to blow too hard, then it's off to town for an ophthalmologist appointment and groceries. I'm also going to touch base with the mechanic to nail down how he wants that cylinder head cut up. I thought I understood what he wanted last time, but now I'm not so sure and email/text/phone communications so far haven't provided sufficient clarification. Almost all the engine parts are now in hand, so getting the heads done has turned into the long stick in the tent. Even so, it looks like it'll still be a month or more before the engine is completed and is ready to be installed, so I have more time than I thought to finish the body work.

I experienced 100-110 in Stockton, Napa, etc... but it was dry, humidity often under 10%, there the sweat would evaporate and help cool you a bit, here with a dew point near 80°, there is little evaporation, the 96° we're getting today will feel like 115-120. TOO DARN HOT!

 

[daugen]

I experienced 100-110 in Stockton, Napa, etc... but it was dry, humidity often under 10%, there the sweat would evaporate and help cool you a bit, here with a dew point near 80°, there is little evaporation, the 96° we're getting today will feel like 115-120. TOO DARN HOT!

we need to be at the beach with Buppies, the cool shore breeze feels like 15 degrees cooler

 

[rswyan]

74F and partly sunny, high predicted to hit 89F again today. Got a small amount of rain yesterday afternoon, barely enough to settle the dust ... storm pretty much petered out right as it got here.

Big line of strong storms along western IL border, stretching from central Iowa back down into southwest MO ... may make it here later today/tonight.

Yesterday I finished with the upper compost pile moving ... the rest of the pile that I left looks like it's about ready to screen, so will leave it where it is until I can get to that. Also finished pulling out the lower compost pile so it can be screened. Filled bird feeders. The Woman has a dahlia that has started to bloom.

O-rings for the front axle pivot are in at Akron Tractor so I might see if I can slide over there later. Front axle pivot still leaking ... thought tightening it up might handle that but it didn't. Need to pick oil for the LawnBoy premix also while I'm out.

 

[RedNeckGeek]

I experienced 100-110 in Stockton, Napa, etc... but it was dry, humidity often under 10%, there the sweat would evaporate and help cool you a bit, here with a dew point near 80°, there is little evaporation, the 96° we're getting today will feel like 115-120. TOO DARN HOT!

I agree, the high humidity back east was one of the big reasons I got the heck out of there as soon as I could. And yes, once you soak your shirt through with a good sweat, the low humidity here doesn't keep it from evaporating. But without a breeze, you build your own little humid cloud around you, so you're still uncomfortably hot.

<sarcasm>But everything else in Kalifornia is so wonderful, if I didn't complain about the temperatures, what would I have left to complain about </sarcasm>:confused2: