Good morning!!!!

[RedNeckGeek]

Good Morning!!!! 72F @ 5:30AM. Abundant sunshine. High 102F. Winds S at 10 to 15 mph.
Gonna be HOT the rest of the week, but highs will drop down into the 80s by the weekend.

Way behind in my reading, but I hope you are all doing well. Not much chance of catching up, so I hope I didn't miss anything earth shaking.

Highway 70 in the Feather River Canyon is open again, but with one way controlled traffic in several locations. Some of the slides are still active, so it could close again at any time.

Very nice trip with some beautiful scenery, and some huge Sequoia trees. The bike and I ended coming home in a U-haul truck, though. Pretty sure another lifter failed, but in a different engine. I'll know more later today when I get it apart. The self rescue was mostly painless, except for the pocketbook. Could have been a lot worse.

 

[PJSprog]

58°F and partly cloudy this morning, going up to 85° today.

More big "excitement" at work yesterday morning. Heard some loud banging, and it took me a second to realize it wasn't coming from out in the shop (no echo). It was gunfire outside. Someone pulled up and stopped in the street, pulled out a rifle, and shot up the motel across the street. Someone inside came out and returned fire. We have a few new holes in our building by the paint line now. Fortunately, the idiots can't shoot, and no one was hit.
A day in the life in north St Louis city.

Yesterday was about as nice a day weather-wise as a guy could ask for. If it were like that every day, I'd have a lot less complaining to do. Got some grass cut after work, about half of it anyway. Will try to finish that this evening.

Wife started asking about my old telescope just after sun set. So we got it out and set it up in the driveway, then waited for the stars to appear. There wasn't anything fun in the evening sky to look at, so we just looked at a couple of stars. I showed her how to set it up and how to find things with the spotting scope, and how to follow them across the sky. It has a manual equatorial mount, which makes that fairly easy when set up properly. She was tickled by it. She also downloaded a SkyView app on her phone, which I think she enjoyed playing with more than the scope. Once she gets to see cool stuff like the moon and planets and the space station, she'll be hooked.

Good morning, gents.

 

[PJSprog]

Sorry about Evey, Paul. Guessing she’ll be treated extra special.

She always was. She's mama's girl, and her training pride and joy. So much so that we found a BC statue a couple years ago, and she painted it to look like Evey.

Thanks everyone for the kind remarks.

 

[LS Tractor Owner]

Good morning to all! Low was again 52°, currently 60°, going up to 78°. Sunny, slight chance of a T-storm, but not likely. Next 3 days should be similar.

Drew, hope the plants can hold on until you get there.

Don, hope the moisture continues for you. I was surprised to hear you were so warm and dry, most of our moisture this past week was coming up from the gulf.... one would think you were right in the path....

RNG, sorry to hear about the bike needing to be rescued / transported. Hopefully, not too bad to fix.

Scaredy, hope you get a chance to recuperate some.... try to take it easy.

PJ, at least no one got hurt. A real shame that low-lifes don't care if anything / anyone are in the crossfire. Could have been much worse!

Today's agenda should include getting some work done on the backyard picket fence. I'm going to try and get that project done before more rain moves in by the weekend.

Everyone have a great day!

 

[Popgadget]

She always was. She's mama's girl, and her training pride and joy. So much so that we found a BC statue a couple years ago, and she painted it to look like Evey..

While we generally know it’s inevitable, it doesn’t make it any easier. I gave the sandblast mask to the rock guy yesterday to create Emily’s likeness in stone along with all the other stuff that I made for him. So I understand that statue as well…..

 

[buckeyefarmer]

Scary, good thing you’re not a car, the insurance company would total you.

 

[rswyan]

69F and sunny @ 10:30, headed up to a high of around 80F for the day. Coming out of the fog.

Woman just headed out to start weeding, said She had been "trying to get out there for hours" ... not sure what the hold up was. I see She did get the garage opened up and plants moved out.

Neighbor lady was just down here with her dog, Squeak seems a little perturbed by the invader.

Plans for today:

Fix Water Buffalo (hose blew off when I tried to fill it yesterday without opening the main ball valve), then finish refilling.

Small oak trees that somehow managed to survive the winter all need watered, along with the apple and the Rose of Sharon bushes that we planted.

Install 2' high cage around the one tomato plant that isn't protected out back.

Mix up glyphosate and spray the expanded garden area with the hand pump sprayer (winds are light)

Have around 8 to 10 day lilies growing in pots out back. Several day lilies that we planted last fall did not make it, so need to figure out what should go where and maybe get some of those in the ground.

Also have some other perennials growing in pots, so need to make a determination of where those can go.

Extra pots may be needed soon, as Burgess is reporting that my order - which I placed back on 4/30/22 - is now "Batched for Shipment" between 6/27 and 7/2 ... whatever the heck that means.

Get rest of screened compost in dump cart spread along the edge of the flower and in the low spots.

That should be enough for today, but if it isn't it's not like there is any shortage of other stuff to tack onto to the list.

Sorry hear the sad pet news on BEF's and PJS' end.

Hope toppop is doing better and will check in soon, along with all the others who are MIA.

Everyone have a good day.

 

[daugen]

home sweet home
3 1/2 hours 67mph in right lane on adaptive cruise, 23mpg pulling a trailer. That surprised me. Engine has enough torque to mildly lug in higher gear which
my understanding is how you get better gas mileage. And much of today's driving in NJ and NY was pretty hilly. Mountainous even, if one does not
live in the Rockies for comparison. Gosh I'm tired of driving. Hands are buzzing, neck is fair. Eyes are tired.

Buckeye, they already totaled me and my salvage value was really low...

just need to sit and do absolutely nothing after being focused so much all morning. Deep breathes. Hard to drive on NY Thruway, 287 and 202 without some pretty aggressive driving, but
I honestly think PA near Philadelphia is worse. Lot of police activity out and likely it was successful slowing things down.
I got behind a NY state officer on Rt 28 heading East to Thruway South, two on NY Thruway, two more on 287 and I paced a NJ state LEO on 202 all the way from Flemington to New Hope.
for those of you who haven't driven it, likely most of you, it's a pretty limited access high speed four lane interrupted by few lights approaching PA. Great place to let out your car if no one else is on road and that happens still, road isn't overly busy. Getting there.

But today, not much traffic, just the NJ State Police squad car and I. I was doing 5 over and he was doing 7 over cruising slowly by me, checking out the golf cart likely. Enough
straps officer? Look at them all!
Of course now I have to go take them all off, but you all know they usually come off easier than go on.

and because it rained yesterday, have to mow the lawn too.
maybe later
Ted, plants looked unhappy but ok, like they had been watered after really drying out, which is what I think happened. Not sure if neighbor came over to water.
Couple of these plants are stupidly high maintenance. Constantly thirsty. The ones the garden centers make, I swear they use saw dust in there or something. Dries out way too quickly.

I'm just happy to be home. This afternoon I really would like to go through all the pics I took with the new Lumix camera, but first have to go do the trailer. And it's not easy for me to do by myself. Because I can't pick up more than about 40 pounds without seriously hurting myself, the tongue weight on that single axle trailer is a bit over that.
Very hard to pick up, and maneuver backwards on gravel driveway. Either with the JD lawn tractor or the golf cart, I need to drag the whole thing backwards and haven't figured out how to do that. Golf cart has zero attachment capability underneath. Just a little tow hook up front. Perhaps I could pull backwards that way. That's an idea., though never like to be in same plane as tow rope.

Of course the jackstand digs a furrow in the driveway making it a seriously high resistance project. Maybe a flat metal skid (baking pan) somehow attached to bottom of jack?
Or a different jack with lockable wheel on bottom?

Once I unload the trailer and unhook it from car, it is 90 degrees the wrong way and fifteen feet from where I need to push/pull it. In 3/4 inch stone gravel.
I'll take a pic and let smarter folks than me figure this out. For next time.

golf cart needs a good wash, not so much from mud in those fancy rims but from road bugs on the back side of the cart. Summer bugs, splat.

 

[Bird]

txdon said, "It RAINED!!!! .48". However that will delay my planed morning mowing with the wet grass and 95% humidity."

Wish I could say the same. I was hoping for rain so I wouldn't have to water the yard but it just didn't happen. Today was the day for my lawnmowing service to be here, but I started the sprinkler out front before they got here and told them the front just didn't need mowing; just water. So they mowed the back and then I got a sprinkler going out back, too.

 

[sodamo]

67°F and .07 inches rain.

Have a date with a patio door and sheet of Lexan this morning.

Sears tech coming to look at Dishwasher this afternoon. Buttons refuse to perform their start up duty.

Prayers for all
Be safe
Have a great day

 

[LS Tractor Owner]

Drew, you can get one of these..... makes moving over gravel much easier!

The double wheel ones give a much larger contact patch to roll over gravel.

Or... one of these....

600 lb. Trailer Dolly

Amazing deals on this 600Lb Trailer Dolly at Harbor Freight. Quality tools & low prices.

www.harborfreight.com

 

[PJSprog]

PJ, at least no one got hurt. A real shame that low-lifes don't care if anything / anyone are in the crossfire. Could have been much worse!

More shots fire again today, about a dozen, just about an hour ago. Seems we're in the middle of someone else's feud here.

 

[PJSprog]

I've been thinking about getting one of those HF trailer dollies, LS, since we have a couple of them to move around these days. The kayak trailer is light enough to move by hand even when loaded. However, the Rice utility trailer seems to be getting heavier with each passing year.

 

[RedNeckGeek]

Or a different jack with lockable wheel on bottom?

Amazon offers this trailer jack wheel, Drew. I have one on the 5/8 trailer here, but it only has one wheel and is hard to move on gravel and soft ground.

When I got home yesterday, I had to unload the motorcycle from the back of the U-Haul box van. I managed to get it turned around with a lot of tugging and sliding, but there was no way I could walk beside it to ease it down the ramp because the ramp was too narrow. It was slightly uphill to the back of the van, so I had to paddle the bike up to the top of the ramp to get the front wheel started down. Then gave it a big push with both feet and woosh! It was down the ramp pretty much with me just along for the ride. An adrenaline moment I really didn't need. Hope your off load was less exciting.

 

[RedNeckGeek]

More shots fire again today, about a dozen, just about an hour ago. Seems we're in the middle of someone else's feud here.

Any way you can telecommute from home until the shooting stops, Paul? What does your company management have to say about the safety environment with bullets flying through the air?

 

[newbury]

I've been thinking about getting one of those HF trailer dollies, LS, since we have a couple of them to move around these days. The kayak trailer is light enough to move by hand even when loaded. However, the Rice utility trailer seems to be getting heavier with each passing year.

I've got one of those HF trailer dollies. Those are handy for small light trailers, they lessen the need to bend over. But they may not do well on gravel/driveway stone, I've only used mine on concrete and asphalt.

 

[daugen]

I looked at the HF push trailer dolly and wasn't sure I could generate enough push. But if I'm not trying to herniate myself picking up the whole thing, perhaps
I could use that energy in pushing. That just may be the answer short of Popgadget designing me a miniature airport pushback tractor...

I got it back in but what a hassle. Heave grunt might as well have been back in Egypt.
Yes to the double wheel. Not sure the foot on this one is removable, I will check that first.
Otherwise I'll just replace the whole thing, they aren't expensive.
I've got an order in for more gravel, likely shavings to go down on the existing 3/4 clean. Or maybe 3/8. something that will pack down.

everything is put away, watered, and now time maybe for quick nap. Was up most of night, waking up almost every hour. Didn't have indigestion, wasn't dreaming, or needing bathroom.
I'll catch up tonight

 

[daugen]

funny there are a bunch of motorized trailer dollies.
I say go whole hog and get this one, should be good on gravel?...

https://smile.amazon.com/Trailer-Valet-RVR-9-000lb/dp/B07BNB9B2Y/ref=sr_1_7?crid=1Q39SW3JOQH2P&keywords=trailer+dolly&qid=1656446447&sprefix=trailer+dolly%2Caps%2C67&sr=8-7&ufe=app_do%3Aamzn1.fos.ac578592-0362-4e0a-958c-0f2dd61d30d4

actually gets pretty bad ratings
need something with fat tires

 

[scaredychicken]

Good Afternoon,

leg spasms have stopped for now. Doing inside work today.

Buckeye, they already totaled me and my salvage value was really low...

not sure what I missed, I hope things are okay and getting better

I have been working on our budget again.
I dropped the CC credit limit by $4500 on one card that wife uses. She is out of town, I didn't want to cancel that card ... yet
I cancelled some CC cards that I never requested or use (they transferred over to a different lender via Costco) ... so that drops another $2000 credit down.
The one card that I still have for rare use, is paid off and I don't need it, so I may drop the limit on that one also.
Trying to make things more manageable.

That's my excitement for the day

 

[sodamo]

funny there are a bunch of motorized trailer dollies.
I say go whole hog and get this one, should be good on gravel?...

https://smile.amazon.com/Trailer-Valet-RVR-9-000lb/dp/B07BNB9B2Y/ref=sr_1_7?crid=1Q39SW3JOQH2P&keywords=trailer+dolly&qid=1656446447&sprefix=trailer+dolly%2Caps%2C67&sr=8-7&ufe=app_do%3Aamzn1.fos.ac578592-0362-4e0a-958c-0f2dd61d30d4

actually gets pretty bad ratings
need something with fat tires

I’m guessing Paul could whip up a great solution involving your rider mower and that HF dolly Ted linked. Facing forward on mower of course so ad to not stress neck.