Good morning!!!!

[Thomas]

4F now upper 30's for high...sure doesn't feel light the first day of spring.

Old saying around these parts...first day of spring where the sunsets evening true west

Time for English muffin while the pickup warms before heading down to valley for 8.

Enjoy the day all.

 

[toppop52]

Don and Ed, I found a new diet, it’s the Ellen diet. Since we got together 10 days ago, I lost 7 lbs and she 9. I think it’s the long walks and better eating. Especially dessert.

The weather is going to heck in a handbasket, rain and wind to snow. I hope we get out of here for Carolina ahead of the snow tomorrow.


Guys, prayers all around, you all have been a Godsend since Lynn passed.

 

[Eric Salop]

LS, tough to find out for definate that your knee can't mend without intervention. I hope it goes well and that you find some unexpected pleasures to compensate.

When my left knee decided to stop working properly some years ago, it first put an end to me running, then cycling any significant distance and finally walking at a normal pace. After a few years it recovered a little and I was able to walk up hillsides again, though cycling has remained a passive activity, confined to following mostly_gas's adventures.

On the upside, it made me more determined than ever to find a bit of farmland where I could still spend my spare time outside. That ultimately lead to us moving home to a new and better way of life than I could ever have imagined before. Also I discovered the joy of automatic cars. Crawling in traffic became much more pleasurable - nowadays the occasional traffic queue is simply an opportunity to pause and take a sideways look at the world. It also made me consider hydro-static transmissions for tractors (which would now be my 1st choice for a compact, regardless of state of my decrepitude) and is how I found this marvellous forum.

 

[ronjhall]

Drinking first cup of coffee. 22° with clear skies this morning. Heading to 40° with some clouds. While it was sunny out yesterday there was a chill in the breeze that is till blowing this morning out of the NE. Most of the snow is gone. Except where it is was piled while clearing drive and walkway. Snow bump that was showing on WU 10 day forecast for Saturday has moved out to next Monday and Tuesday. Should be able to get golf kart out today. Pickup all the tree branches with it. I would do it with the tractor. But I would need to take snow blade off. That would be asking for mother nature to pound us with a foot or more of snow.

Ed, Prayers for you and your family. Sure wish I could give you some good advise on dealing with your mom in the nursing home. But like Jay said most people think they are not going to be in there.

Prayers for those in need.

Good Morning All

 

[txdon]

Good morning! 51˚ the coolest morning for many months most likely as the wind changes from the South tomorrow an temps go back into the 80˚s. No chance of rain and getting dry. Our best chance of rain looks to be after Easter.

Mom gets her yard century Post Oak tree cut down today. It was the biggest oldest tree in the yard. I'll count the rings to see you many hundred years old it was. It died when Dad died. It's way too big for me to tackle so we are calling out the pros.

Eric, your left knee sounds exactly like my left knee.

Ed are private rooms available in the nursing home? Is there another nursing home to try. In the 6 months my dad was in nursing homes he was in three and each one was very different. The one that stood out had a waiting list and he never made it back there after rehab, but the one he died in was OK. The other residents were helpful with him and kept an eye on him.

 

[Eric Salop]

The sun is shining beautifully this morning and according to the temperature recorder, it never even got close to freezing last night. That can't be true as all water was frozen hard. It could be thermometer accuracy, or more likely I need to move the sensor a little further away from the thick garden wall.

Spring has never been more welcome than this year.

 

[wngsprd]

39 and raining going to 40 and snow.,,should get up to 3 inches.

Don, we have a coon problem, too. Raccoon came up on our porch twice last night getting into the bird food cans. Coco ran the off, but thy are persistent...seems March is the worst month each year for them coming up from the creek...I guess there is slim pickings by this time, or babies to feed. Last night forgot and left the suet feeders out and they cleaned them out. Over the years, I have found suet cages as far as 200 yards away, where they carry them off and then feast, plus a couple high up in the trees where we hang them.

Randy, wonder why the sudden urge to clean up your truck? Wouldn't have to do with your new lady, would it?

LS, sorry to see you need surgery...hope all goes well.

Farmer, looks like quite a list of work ahead for you.

Probably use today's rainy day to catch up on paperwork, and hit the gym, since likely not go anywhere in the snow tomorrow.

 

[txdon]

Don, we have a coon problem, too. Raccoon came up on our porch twice last night getting into the bird food cans.

That reminds me to check the traps at mom's today. Oh wait, I forgot to put cat food in them yesterday, maybe the coon wandered in.

 

[ronjhall]

Ed are private rooms available in the nursing home?

Good one Don. My mother spent several months in a private room. During that time they worked finding a good match for her in a semiprivate room. She and the lady in that room became good friends. Until the lady died. My mother never liked the new lady. But by that time dementia had gotten to my mom to the point of not understanding much.

 

[freedomlives]

Good morning. A good bit of snowfall last night and still now.

The tractor is on the way from Orava to us. I guess it will take about 5 hours. Praying that he doesn't get stopped by police. His trailer is rated for a total load of 2.7 tons, and the tractor is only 1.8 tons, but his truck isn't supposed to pull more than 2 tons. I think he's pretty safe, because those traffic police with portable scales probably are inside somewhere on a day like today.

 

[Looking4new]

-6 and going to a high of 25 Wind NE 13 gusting to 21 and sunny. UV index 3.

If you can stand the cold, you can get just as bad a sunburn in March as you can in the middle of summer. So they say.

Eric, my HST tractor has a clutch and it MUST be all the way to the floor in order to start and must be depressed in order to shift ranges.

For 5 years I fantasied about a backhoe (while I was paying for the Kioti), now it is becoming more of a reality. Income tax rebate will be here in a couple of weeks, with that and a lump sum payout from my Life Income Fund I will have it.

Have a safe day all

 

[lostcreekranch]

Spring begins, in the Northern Hemisphere, at 11:15 (CDT) today. I’m guessing many of you in the North and Northeast are saying “yeah .... right” but it’s true.

Our friends, in the Southern Hemisphere are saying goodbye to their Summer.

Have an excellent day.

 

[RedNeckGeek]

Good Morning!!!! 50F @ 4:45AM. Cloudy with occasional showers this afternoon. High 58F. Winds SE at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 60%.

Nursing homes are like anything else, Ed. Some good, some bad. Some you can tell just walking in by the smell that it's no fit place to live. The best hospitals and nursing homes we found for my mom were affiliated with the Catholic church. Most will let you visit, talk to the residents, and even have a meal. At least the nice ones will.

Good luck with the tractor delivery, Andrew. We all know how much Eric likes his Iseki, and hope you like yours, too. Don't forget to update your SIG here on TBN.

Busy like a beaver, eh Wng?

Beware of any surgeon that owns his own operating theater, Ted. He won't have the latest and best equipment and will try to use it on you even if it's not the most appropriate because he's in hock up to his eyeballs. Find the best hospital in your area, often they're associated with a university, and see if your doctor will give you a referral to an orthopedic surgeon there. Your injury is pretty common among big time sports athletes, so give some thought to looking out of state for one with a good reputation in so called "sports medicine". Now is not the time to mess around with some backwater bush league doctor.

How do you lose weight and still eat dessert, Randy? Maybe it's all that "exercise" you're gettin'?:laughing:

More pogoing on the kickstart lever yesterday, but still no joy. I did finally manage to get the importer of the charging/ignition system on the phone yesterday, and learned that kit I have doesn't have the same parts in it that he's used to seeing, so the instructions he's passing out are no longer accurate. That explains the differences I'm seeing between his comments and what I'm working with, and I have a clearer understanding of how the system works. But since everything is new or rebuilt on the bike, I also have to figure out the right setting for the throttle/carbs. Today I'll pull off the intake manifolds so I can see down into the carb throats and make sure there's not too much or too little fuel, and try changing the timing in small increments until I get a chuff or a pop. I just need to get it running long enough to get a timing light on it so I can accurately set the timing. Turns out that the wacky ignition control unit makes some assumptions about engine RPM while it's being kicked, and may select an amount of advance that isn't necessarily appropriate. Apparently that's a problem with large displacement, high compression engines like what I'm working with...:confused2: I did rig up the timing light with tape over the trigger so I can tell when I'm getting spark, and my kicking technique is improving. The straight 40 weight oil and cool temperatures aren't helping much though.

 

[PJSprog]

36°F and light snow flurries this morning, going up to 44° today. First day of Spring, huh?

Wife hadn't put anything out for dinner last night, so she stopped at Taco Bell and picked up a couple of burritos and a box of soft tacos. I love tacos. She's entirely too good to me. After we ate, we sat at the kitchen table for the rest of the evening just chatting, then went to bed early ... 8:30-ish. I got nothing done last night, and I'm completely OK with that.

 

[CWB Wyo]

Back in the teens this morning 15*, yesterday was pretty nice mostly sunny and in the high 30's. Today going to be partly cloudy and in the mid 40's and windy.

Just going to play it by ear and see what happens today.

Hope everyone has a nice day.
CWB.

 

[jbrumberg]

"..... Some you can tell just walking in by the smell that it's no fit place to live."- RNG I agree; especially what you posted about the "better" facilities.

I really do not know which was worse- the "smell" or the smell of Fabreeze(sp?). My staff and I were "responsible" for the State takeover of a chain of Nursing Home/Rehab facilities and their "closure" due to complaints directed to the Ombudsperson assigned to the facility for abuse by virtue of neglect. When I went to places to evaluate a resident the first thing I did walking in the door was take a whiff and assess the direct care staff's attitudes and behaviors when dealing with residents. There were the good, the bad, and the ugly. Some staff were obviously there for the $ and poor $ at the wages the CNA's and HHA's are paid.

Ed- I would talk to your Mom's caseworker about what's going on. It reads to be an "OK" facility. I doubt insurance would pay for a private room ($ and/or "bad" behavior) can get one a private room. I would not encourage "bad" behavior. I would try to talk to the Activities Director too and encourage social activity. Ed a strange question- Check the calendar on the wall in Mom's room and see if it is the correct month.

Buppies- I am surprised that the NWS issued a Winter Weather Watch for my area. This is predominantly a MIdAtlantic and Southern Coastal New England elevation snow/rain event. I do not expect the predicted 4"'s here. Phil may see 8" - 12" based on his elevation and storm track. Two more systems are modeled for March into April. April, historically, has been an active month for coastal storms dropping decent amounts of snow around here.

Randy- Keep it up.... I mean keep up the good work.

Andrew- Good luck with the new tractor.

LS- Good luck with the MCL.

It's hard to think Spring when it is 20F outside and there is +1' of snow on the ground and more anticipated. There is no snow down in the "Valley."

Lately Wifey and I have become "Perry Mason" addicts.

My + thoughts, wishes, and prayer for all.

 

[freedomlives]

It's hard to think Spring when it is 20F outside and there is +1' of snow on the ground and more anticipated. There is no snow down in the "Valley."

Went to a neighbor's hill for kids to sled. The green grass sticking up through the snow was an interesting thing to look at.

Any minute now Jozef should be here with the tractor.

 

[jbrumberg]

"Up" here in the Hill Towns Spring can come a couple of weeks after Spring arrives down in the CT River valley.

Andrew- You must be like a kid awaiting your new "toy."

I wish you many long and boring incident-free hours of operation.

Good luck.

 

[RedNeckGeek]

Andrew- You must be like a kid awaiting your new "toy."

I wish you many long and boring incident-free hours of operation.

I do as well, Andrew. But it wasn't all that long ago that I learned to drive my first tractor, and the threads here on TBN about tipping tractors over were real eye openers. If you haven't already, you might want to give them a look!

 

[RedNeckGeek]

There is significant rain in the forecast through Saturday, and this notice was just Tweeted by CalFire:

@CAL_FIRE
16m16 minutes ago
More
Largest #CaStorm of the year is headed our way increasing the risk of flash flooding and debris flow. If you live in or near a post wildfire area remain aware of your surroundings and listen for unusual sounds. If you or your family feel unsafe evacuate or seek higher ground.

This applies especially to the Ventura/Santa Barbara and Napa fire areas, but there was a very large fire southeast of here in the foothills as well. Recovery there has been slow, but most of those affected have moved to safer places, so I hope everyone will be OK with the incoming weather.