Good morning!!!!

[Buppies]

He hasn’t been around recently hope he’s ok

Don I need to study your weather but probably much cooler

Good evening

 

[txdon]

Don I need to study your weather but probably much cooler

I was just getting used to the 80˚ weather again.

 

[Kyle_in_Tex]

Part if it is that I'm getting older, and physically less capable of keeping up with the maintenance this place needs. Bending over to pick rocks doesn't take long to start hurting, and bumpy rides on tractors are verging on unbearable. Then there's the poop yer pants fun of running the tractor on the steep hillsides just to keep the grass cut. Life might literally be too short with one slip of a wheel or an inopportune equipment failure. BTDT.

A bigger part is that I'm not spending my time doing the things I love to do. When I'm out fixing ruts on the driveway, or cleaning up downed trees, or huddling inside because it's too smoky outside to breathe, or the wind is blowing the porch roof off the back side of the house, leading to yet another time wasting exercise, I'm wasting time. I've reached a time in my life where I'm literally running out of time, and I can't afford to waste any more of it fighting Mother Nature.

You're right, I've spent a small fortune identifying and mitigating one after another problem with this particular slice of heaven. And at almost every turn, Mother Nature has shown me the folly of my ways. There's no easy way out, though. On the other hand, if it's not Mother Nature, it's the meth head waiting on you when you come out of the pharmacy with your perscription in your pocket, or a drunk driver, or an inconsiderate neighbor that just has to mow their lawn at 2AM. And I'm not even going into the economic uncertainty around changing places, especially in inflation crazy California. You names yer poison and you takes your chances, and the devil you know isn't necessarily better than the one you don't. I just know that I can't keep doing what I've been doing and expect a better result; it's just never turned out that way. I'm not expecting a bed of roses, but almost anything's better that beating my head against the wall and expecting it to feel good.

Yes, Ron. Last March I spent a week in Oregon, with a couple days in Eugene and the surrounds. Rained almost every day, and Eugene is a BIG city, with big city traffic and big city hustle and bustle. Not for me. Oregon used to be inexpensive, but now it's been Californicated and real estate prices are comparable to here, unless you find a place way out in the sticks, which I'm trying to avoid. I'd also like to not deal with harsh winter weather, having done that growing up back in the midwest. So that eliminates a lot of places, too. Get too far south when you go inland and the summers can be really hot and muggy, don't go far enough south and you're back to snow in the winter. And the farther east I go, the more complicated the moving process gets. I've got a lot of junk! A fair amount I need to go through and get rid of. Hard to overcome the "never throw anything away" mindset.

That's a good mantra, Mike, one I'd do well to emulate. I usta haunt Craig's List looking for orphans that a little TLC and cash would get back into running condition. That's pretty much how I built up my shop. But each of those purchases came with a mortgage, not just of money, but of time. So each one takes a little slice, and when it gets out of hand you spend more time tending to machines and property than you do enjoying them. I've been very fortunate here to have neighbors with big iron so I didn't have to rent or buy an excavator or bulldozer, and now I'll be able to hire a contractor to take care of the roof damage instead of scrounging around for used roof tiles and climbing up there and doing the work myself. I like the idea of being near a maker space, like Don has, and that I've seen in larger cities, for access to 3D printers and laser/water jet cutters, and if I play my cards right, that might be available where ever I end up. It's a new way of thinking, of doing the same kinds of things but in a different way. Of being an old dog that hopefully can still learn new tricks, instead of sitting around watching TV all day with nothing else to do...

You have a ton of decisions to make. I understand your thinking totally. I already think the same thing for our place. My kids will be gone in 6 more years, except my middle daughter. My new career doesn't leave much time, and I like doing other things than just shredding with a tractor. I had the chance to buy a really nice garden home with a small 2 car garage some years ago for a bit over $100K. I sometimes wonder if God was telling me to "unload"? But the wife and I were just talking the other day about how fortunate we are to live in the country and how much our kids love it but maybe not appreciate it as much as we do. My wife is younger than I, and she's told me she would just let the acres grow back into woods if I pass. I told her that she would be inundated with critters, snakes and varmints.

At work, We just paid $4400 to move 5 small machine tools less than a mile away. So just moving won't be cheap.

Yes, I believe Don has a good situation for him and Caren over there, but he had to give up a lot and change a lot.....but he still has a lot of opportunities.

Maybe you could take a part time job at a facility where you would have opportunities to machine, weld and 3D print. That's what I have now. At work. If I had to make something, I don't have quite the array of tools I had at my last job, but in some aspects, I have more.

Here's a short list of what's at work, and I am the man to run them when needed:
1) Agie Charmille Wire EDM
2) Renishaw AM 400 laser metal sintering 3D printer
3) 3 CNC mills
4) 1 CNC lathe
5) 2 manual mills
6) 4 manual lathes
7) Lincoln Torchmate 4 x 4 Plasma cnc table
8) Omax Waterjet cnc table
9) multiple Lincoln mig, tig, stick welders
10) submerged arc welders
11) Tensile testers
12) Full room of Mitutoyo CMM, and other measuring devices
13) numerous plastic 3D printers, and a kevlar printer $$$

Some day, when I get caught up repairing everything, I will start making stuff. Right now, I want to make whirly type 3D printed gears/gadgets that I can hang on walls, and people can turn the cranks and get satisfaction/joy from playing with them.

I got dirty today putting a Victor Mill back together. Still have more work tomorrow on it.

Today, I was told I will teach/lecture a group of 4 students. first group of a multi disciplinary engineering technology curriculum they started that these students will be classified as engineers but aimed at teaching STEM in junior high and high schools.

We have set up our property in a living trust and one of our kids is named to take it over.

You don't have to tell me, but I'm trying to figure out how I would pick 1 kid out of 9?......draw straws?

 

[mostly_gas]

Good evening all 57ºF for the start, overcast, light wind. wind became moderate with brisk gusts, Trace of rain then slow clearing, high temp was 66ºF, lo temp forecast at midnight is 49ºF. We do have some rain in 10day, about a 1/2 inch hope the rain amount over achieves. Men's meeting to start day, then putter for a bit, then replaced wheelbarrow arms. Nap then help wife make meatballs. Meant to load wood wagon but failed to get that done.
RNG another hope that you can sort it out. Good analysis of your situation. Not sure where you can go to get away from meth-heads
Drew glad you had good visit. If there is a chicken shortage the price will come of the 7.50 doz. price.
Ron hope grocery shopping was complete and Sassy got her walks. Nice pic
Frits glad you can handle where you are.
Kilroy glad you have plenty of eggs. Sorry about no quiches. Hope you can work out a price. Good luck with coffee maker leak. Also sorry about the training issues. I wonder why "they" are so indifferent to making sure training means something. Good luck with wood processor.
Spike hope things do change for you.
Mike hope truck is ready for more miles and Shopping went well.
Bill sorry about the flush handle. When mine broke it was an easy fix.
Mike hope you are finding the balance as well.
Billy glad you made it to taco place. Hope you get your freeze so you can take care of the firewood.
Scotty good luck with weed abatement program.
Paul hope the breakfast is fun and informative. Hope you can make some progress on Bridgeport project.
Ken hope their practice was helpful for audition. Great mailroom story
RNG and the challenge is to figure out when it is time to rehome the machinery you are not really using.
Buppies hope you can stay put for a while. prayers sent.
Dennis hope you can do more Dennis stuff now you are retired.
RNG good to hear recovery from wind is happening, hope groceries went well.
Gstrom good to hear you are ready for winter storm.
Ken interesting snowing in London and not in PA.
Jim glad you heard from contractor, and he showed today. I hate it when stuff falls apart during disassembly and you have no pics of what it looked like or what order to put back together.
Dennis thanks for link.
Thomas hope you avoided one boot north and one boot south. Hope you can cut hours. Glad short workday. Hope you got your nap and storm prep done.
Dennis maybe I should change tire on bike
Ted. glad you found a better way for life improvement. Wish we had gotten 1/2 inch of rain. Hope you can get into shop soon.
Mark hope wife's surgery goes well. prayers sent.
David hope you got good news on Sophie's eyes. Hope you were ale to et more bracing installed.
Don I just wonder why people just dump stuff like that.
RS hope leaky facet is progressing, amazing how much work needs to happen before you get to the main event Hope you get the TVs squared away. Good luck with dust collection system.
Dennis glad you finally got your oil on sale. Hope you can find water source in fridge. Good luck with water softener.
Drew glad good visit with friend. Sorry about day mix up on meeting, you could use paper calendar, but that would involve tracking what day it is .
Dennis wife used to get seafood enchilada at Chevy's then they pulled it, brought it back then shut whole restaurant down
Frits we have gotten much better with lists and using them when we moved n much more rural area.
Randy(wag) glad you feet are still ok. Hope you got the property mowed.
Frits yes looks innocent with chewed up leash still on floor
Gale not much rain when it went through here. Hope no bad damage.
prayer for all, especially Jay/Peg, Kyle /Daughter, /mom's breathing, /learning new job, /friends upcoming new baby, /son's migraines, Bird /aging issues, Ron /broken arm and heart, Billy /mom hypertension & congestive heart failure, David(moss) /remodel, /divorce, Buppies /new skin cancer spot and treatment, /elbow healing, /wife knee healing, Thomas /gout, Phil /reflux, /wife's voice, Frits /veteran son with mental issues, Ken /dad possible dementia, /uncle's surgery, Steppenwolfe /son-auto immune disorder, Grev /wife's eye, Ted /knee recovery, /retirement & disability red tape, /family issues, /wife feeling bad, Lou /eye issues, Doug and wife/health issues, / hand nerve and surgery, /fall and recovery, / wife headaches and heart eval, / David(sadamo)/Sophie's new eye surgery recovery, Chris /neighbor's granddaughter and Covid issues, Scaredy/shoulder dislocation, /marriage not doing well, / friend stop drinking, Paul/ wife's healing from back surgery, Dennis /retirement, /neighbor issues, /land development, / brother "alligallyitus" and back in hospital, Drew /foot heel issues, /friend's wife cancer diagnosis and recovery, mike /wife's surgery, Scotty, /back pain, Frits /daughter recovery from surgery, Helogabals /second opinion, /wife's friend situation, Mark /wife colon surgery, Fatjay /father broken hip, Ukraine war, and Country.

 

[Kyle_in_Tex]

I replaced my wheel barrow arms once....But only used it to mix up sacrete afterwards.
Once you have a FEL, it puts the wheelbarrow on skid row..

 

[sodamo]

Been great reading the why’s & wherefores of how people are where they are. We found this place 20 years ago and fully expect that I won’t be packing for my next move. While I’m not up to some of the octogenarians here I’m close behind and realize this place maybe demand more than I can give in the future. But it will still be liveable. For the most part we have had that in play since the beginning. The house was designed to be handicap friendly. A full time care person could actually live here and have their own space. Many here on GM followed as I built a Caretaker/studio to provide for property assistance when required, Sophie not there yet. Someday, if we live long enough, maybe our son will retire and decide to move here. Like many of you, having tools to mitigate physical tasks are important. No family history of someone living out their time in any type facility so not looking that route either. I think most here would agree that our rural “demanding” lifestyle contributes to our longevity. Looking back, seems anybody my age when I was young had 1 foot in the grave so to speak. Sophie tells me I need to quit starting projects, but here I am chronicling my 12x24 tractor shed solar extension that wasn’t even a thought a couple months ago. Someday, I guess I’ll just sit by the pool and enjoy life passing by, probably not in immediate future though. In the meantime, we may discuss, but there is no place we’d rather be. Isn’t it great how we can all arrive at that decision !

 

[buckeyefarmer]

I remember dad planting some apple trees when he was in his 80s. I thought that was optimism.

Mostly, I liked Chevy’s. Apparently it’s still in the Mall near BWI according to the almighty google.

 

[buckeyefarmer]

Based on the radar, we’re about to get hammered.

 

[newbury]

We have 3 tv's in the living room: the (newer) 55" 4K Vizio which we use, an old JVC CRT (which isn't hooked up but still works) and an older large flatscreen (1080) which doesn't work sitting on a love seat. Need to get those moved out of there and and get at least the non-working unit disposed of.

That's a problem with these darn flatscreen TV''s.
When I grew up in northern it was about the time TV's were going from console/cabinet to portable. And from B&W to color.
And I delivered TV guides for one of my first jobs. It would be common to see a dead cabinet TV with a 19" B&W portable stacked on top. Sometimes even with a third small color portable topping off a pyramid.
Try doing that with flatscreens

 

[buckeyefarmer]

I got rid of 1 tube tv a few years ago after my backhoe accidentally busted the tube. A lot of glass to clean up. I have 2 tube TVs left in the garage.
Been up since 2, listening to some music now.

Class I taught last night went well.