Good morning!!!!

   / Good morning!!!! #107,681  
RNG hope density scan went well
 
   / Good morning!!!! #107,682  
I remembered that David got his BH from Betsco and checked their site. Their prices were actually a little less than last year, plus had a $65 off coupon, so pulled the trigger... free shipping too! I just hope it is not coming off a slow boat from China....

Got an email yesterday from Betsco with news they were giving 20% off on all their implements. Use code Spring2020, and it's good until March 21st. I'd have loved to pull the trigger on a larger cement mixer, but they don't sell one. And EA is sold out of 'em until next month, so I'm stuck mixing 1 cu. ft. at a time...

Good luck with your procedure. And best wishes for a complete, and rapid, recovery!!!
 
   / Good morning!!!! #107,683  
Still lots of potential snarls in the red tape possible ahead, Paul. I had to apply for a connection to the PG&E power grid, and I haven't heard anything back on that yet.

That is where I hit a roadblock 12 years ago in the country, tying to connect to the local grid. They wanted to put in a separate meter and charge me the monthly minimum for that meter. The months meter fee would be more than the sellback solar electricity. I criticize them for giving school presentations and pretending to "act" green. They discontinued the practice finally.
 
   / Good morning!!!! #107,684  
   / Good morning!!!! #107,685  
RNG- I think you made a great choice. Good luck with the learning curves. I'd buy some extra props (just in case :rolleyes:); and an extra battery.;)

I read somewhere that extra batteries were hard to come by, so I sprang for a "Fly More" kit that came with three batteries total, a three bay charger, prop guards, and a bunch of extra propellers. About twice what I was wanting to spend, but money grows on trees, right?:confused2:

The Mini doesn't do a bunch of fancy stuff like "Follow Me", and you can't set up a course for it to follow, but in my view, that's just less to break. I just want to do some aerial photo reconnaissance, and from what I can gather, it's also one of the quieter drones out there. Not that I'd ever use it to spy on the neighbors...:laughing:

It does have a button on the controller that stops whatever it's doing and puts it into hover mode. And there's another button that makes it Return To Home and land. But I don't suppose any of that works of the batteries in the controller go flat, or there's a glitch in the com link. But DJI though of that, too, because they sell a sort of insurance policy for $35/year that covers up to two complete drone/controller replacements...:rolleyes:
 
   / Good morning!!!! #107,686  
Well I did it, joined another club, another $10 a year. The international club, I start The american sign language class in a week with my wife. She says we need it for when I don't have my hearing aids in, (which is most of the time) can't really argue with that.
 
   / Good morning!!!! #107,687  
We do have some nasties.... rattlesnakes, 4-5 inch centipedes (they REALLY GIVE ME THE WILLIES), and a lot of stink bugs.

Got all'a those out here, too, Ted. Once I got rid of the snake habitat by burying the rocks they like to live in, I haven't seen any in years. I still find one of those big red millipedes in the house once in a while, but fortunately I haven't stepped on one with my bare feet yet.:shocked: I read somewhere that the millipedes invade when there are other bugs inside that they feed on, so between caulking all the cracks I could find and the termite treatment, I hope I won't see any more of 'em.
 
   / Good morning!!!! #107,688  
I had pollen on my truck today, tulip trees and Bradford pears , as well as forsythia and several other species are blooming. Seems mighty early.

The orchards around here are going nuts with blooms, mostly almonds and some walnuts. Lots of sneezing, sticky eyes, too...
 
   / Good morning!!!! #107,689  
Well I did it, joined another club, another $10 a year. The international club, I start The american sign language class in a week with my wife. She says we need it for when I don't have my hearing aids in, (which is most of the time) can't really argue with that.

How good is she at throwing socks or something else to get your attention so you can use sign language. Wife and I had lots of fun with that. She used a white board or boogie board to communicate. But still needed to get my attention to read. Best part of using board to communicate was almost everyone reads. Do they have class for using a boogie board?
Boogie Board(R) | Electronic Writing Tablets
 
   / Good morning!!!! #107,690  
RNG, maybe Jay can help with any psychological aftershocks from discovering that you don't look trustworthy :D

His comment was that he's seen a LOT of badly abused gauges, and I can understand why. I left the gauge in place when I was running the gas line, and it took a few hard hits when that end flopped around when new fittings or lengths of pipe were being screwed on.

But your point is well taken; I've adopted a somewhat shady persona and wardrobe to better fit in with the neighborhood.:laughing: He had some stories about tweakers and growers that were pretty funny, too...
 
   / Good morning!!!! #107,691  
Got an email yesterday from Betsco with news they were giving 20% off on all their implements. Use code Spring2020, and it's good until March 21st.

Oh, never mind! Glad you got the deal, and yes, great customer service from those folks!!!:thumbsup:
 
   / Good morning!!!! #107,692  
That is where I hit a roadblock 12 years ago in the country, tying to connect to the local grid. They wanted to put in a separate meter and charge me the monthly minimum for that meter. The months meter fee would be more than the sellback solar electricity. I criticize them for giving school presentations and pretending to "act" green. They discontinued the practice finally.

Don't get me started on PG&E, Don. It I end up buying power from them, they charge 12 times what they pay me for anything that comes from the solar panels that I don't consume myself. The only saving grace is that the "square up" is only done once a year, so if we planned right, the panels will have produced just enough to offset what came in from the grid.:crossfingers:
 
   / Good morning!!!! #107,693  
Got all'a those out here, too, Ted. Once I got rid of the snake habitat by burying the rocks they like to live in, I haven't seen any in years. I still find one of those big red millipedes in the house once in a while, but fortunately I haven't stepped on one with my bare feet yet.:shocked: I read somewhere that the millipedes invade when there are other bugs inside that they feed on, so between caulking all the cracks I could find and the termite treatment, I hope I won't see any more of 'em.

I fortunately have never stepped on one. I think we have had only two in the house over 25 years.... which is a very good thing :shocked: Most of the time is when I am moving a rock or a log and startle the darn things.... I usually then do some sort of weird 80s dance move....:confused2:
We are high enough in elevation that we do not get any of the whip-tail scorpions... I have only seen one small one up here. Do you have those? Another critter I do not like.
 
   / Good morning!!!! #107,694  
Don't get me started on PG&E, Don. It I end up buying power from them, they charge 12 times what they pay me for anything that comes from the solar panels that I don't consume myself. The only saving grace is that the "square up" is only done once a year, so if we planned right, the panels will have produced just enough to offset what came in from the grid.:crossfingers:

Wow... that is really a rip-off scam.... our electric coop will not pay or rebate any money, but they credit any solar energy generated at the same rate they charge. It is easy to credit your whole bill and “ bank “ the excess for the next bill.
 
   / Good morning!!!! #107,695  
Don, my son took 6 semesters of American Sign when he was in College. I was always amazed watching him “ talk “ to someone. Part of the classes was going to the local deaf persons social gatherings. He would always report that they were the “ loudest “ parties he ever went to.
 
   / Good morning!!!! #107,696  
Good Morning!!!! 54F @ 6:45AM. Sunny to partly cloudy. High 76F. Winds S at 5 to 10 mph.

Whoa! Lots going on with you folks yesterday, took most of an hour to catch up this morning!

Great shot of that sandhill, Ron. What's it got in its mouth?

At the last house, Eric, I waited until the year before I sold it to landscape the backyard and install energy efficient windows. :duh: But one of those "little jobs" waiting on just the right moment is to hook the drain handle back up to the stopper that somehow came off about a MONTH ago...:laughing:

Over the years, I've changed my political affiliation from Republican to Libertarian to Independent, and now I'm "none of the above", so I didn't get to vote for a presidential candidate in Super Tuesday's primary. The Democrats, Greens, and Independents would have let me vote for their candidates, but for some reason, not the Republicans. But it was more important to my economic welfare to vote against the ballot measures that creep onto there every time, each one wanting more taxes, and every year more deviously worded to do exactly the opposite of what the sponsors say they will. :muttering:

I'm relieved they didn't find the Lyme spirochete swimming 'round your circulatory system, Drew, and hope you can find a specialist soon that knows their butt from their elbow.

And :thumbsup: on the pond path. Did your landscaper do all that by hand?:shocked:

Got any good legume recipes, Don? They seem to be one of the few plant based sources of protein not rich on oxylate...

Another great video, Ted. And I learned to click the bell and subscribe so I'll get notification when the next one comes out.:jump:

The Sutter Buttes to the south play the same sort of hide'n'seek game here, David, with valley fog and smoke from agricultural burning providing the veil. Not nearly as impressive as a Hawaiian volcano, but a lot safer:laughing:.

Yesterday's morning routine got knocked into a cocked hat right after I put the oatmeal into the microwave. While it was cooking, I ran up the driveway to open the gate for the electrical contractor, only to find him already there. I hate it when people are late for a meeting, but having them show up early is almost as bad, as it cost me my breakfast. Then we had a royal time getting the pallet off. It was 8' long and my forks are only 4', so it kept wanting to tip off the end. We got a strap around it, which helped, but it was a really nervous few minutes as it teetered back and forth on its way to the storage container. He was pleased with the progress on the panel rack and trenches, though, and we've got a plan for a box on the outside of the house where the conduit will terminate. I hope to get word before the end of the week on refilling the trenches; he wants is partner to look over the photos he took to make sure we haven't left anything out. I found the oatmeal still in the microwave last night when I got back from town...

Picked up some more concrete at HD yesterday, but had to go back and get the 4x6s I'd left in the loading bay.:duh: The bone density scan was predictably painless, and now the waiting game starts for the results. And the bill...

All that running around yesterday had me wore out by the time I got home, and instead of working outside, I plunked down on the couch for a nap.:D

Think I'll get a start filling the propane line trench today and try out those 4x6s to see if they'll compact the dirt. The contractor said making mud would also compact it, but on that steep hillside, I think most of it would end up in the lake.:confused2:

Hang in there, gang, Friday's comin'!
 
   / Good morning!!!! #107,697  
A mixed cloud sun 31ºF for today's low temperature and with increasing sun it is presently 36ºF. I am hopeful that today's projected high of 42ºF will be exceeded. I like days like this = no wood stove. All the food prep required for my spicy Chinese stir fry paid off. It looks like we'll be eating a lot of Chinese food this week. I replaced the compressor on our SelectComfortï½® bed yesterday and this morning one of the air bladders was flat :eek: I switched to a secondary nipple and refilled it. We'll see if the air bladder holds air.

Ted- Congratulations on the new and price reduced rotary mower.

Buppies I am happy to read that your ribcage is firming up. And I agree about the pollen and the bugs. With last Year's abundant mast crop and this warm Winter there will be lots of mice to feed the ticks. It will probably be a banner year ticks.

Bruce- My Wife sleeps soundly as you. I am envious.

Roy- I hope the rumors are just rumors and that you "retire" when you want.

"... Anyone else have simple jobs, that have been waiting for years ?"- Eric The "To be Done List" is long.... very long. :embarrassed:

Drew- I am happy to read that your Lyme Disease came back -; but saddened that your PCP has no clue as to what is driving your challenges. Good luck with the infectious disease specialist. Have you seen an immunologist? I agree about having Federally mandated paid sick leave and requirements that sick people stay home.

RonJH- Thanks for sharing your Sandhill Crane pic. I have not seen any Spring migrants yet excepting one V of 28 Canadian Geese.

"... I've adopted a somewhat shady persona and wardrobe to better fit in with the neighborhood."- RNG I am with you. I am still wearing that dirty old hoodie seen in my avatar and my hats look like something out of the "Trilogy" Movies. Good luck with your Mavic Mini and PG&E. I did not realize that you were tying into PG&E's grid. I hope that your production does not overtax the existing grid in your area. I really have no complaints about my PV installation or its maintenance. I did have a couple of irritations with EverSource our electricity provider/acceptor and their defective and misplaced service monitors and running over the limit voltage on their transmission lines. I need to recheck my electricity statements.

I hope that everyone is having a decent day.

My + thoughts, wishes, and prayers.
 
   / Good morning!!!! #107,698  
I think spring is here... temps in the 60s through the weekend, first week ( forecasted anyway) for no freezing temps at night!

My neighbor is all excited about getting a tractor (I cannot criticize him), he asked me to take him to the place I got the golf cart canopy from and make one up for him.... he says mine looks too factory to not put one on... I take that as a big compliment. So that is on the agenda for today.

Eric, I have had all the supplies needed to install a generator “ tap “ into the power supply pedestal for about a year... I have just been procrastinating.... I need to do it before the spring storms start rolling in... I will be mad when the power goes out and I have not completed it !
Mmmm... maybe a good project for this afternoon....

Wifey is looking at me weird... I need to order some things online for her... need to go....

Everyone have a great day!
 
   / Good morning!!!! #107,699  
I fortunately have never stepped on one. I think we have had only two in the house over 25 years.... which is a very good thing :shocked: Most of the time is when I am moving a rock or a log and startle the darn things.... I usually then do some sort of weird 80s dance move....:confused2:
We are high enough in elevation that we do not get any of the whip-tail scorpions... I have only seen one small one up here. Do you have those? Another critter I do not like.

I haven't seen any of the whip tail scorpions, but the first winter in the house I found two bark, or glass, scorpions on the bathroom wall. They're milky white and about the size of a quarter, and just the thought of seeing them in the house, let alone the bathroom, provided more than enough motivation to get out the caulking gun. Pretty much ruined any chance of sleep the rest of the night, too.

In addition to the big red millipedes, there's another pretty good sized centipede that has long legs that stick out to the sides and what looks like pincers on the front. I find those under logs once in a while, and the dance move I make involves a lot of stomping. :laughing:
 
   / Good morning!!!! #107,700  
Wow... that is really a rip-off scam.... our electric coop will not pay or rebate any money, but they credit any solar energy generated at the same rate they charge. It is easy to credit your whole bill and “ bank “ the excess for the next bill.

Remember I said don't get me started on PG&E? I'll still get charged thirty something dollars a month just to stay connected to the grid. And I'm told they'll still charge me that even if I decide to go off grid, which I may well do. And now I learn that they've just requested a huge rate hike from the Public Utility Commission to cover the cost of the lawsuits resulting from the last two years of wildfires that were caused by their neglect and lack of maintenance.:censored::grumpy::smiley_aafz:
 

Tractor & Equipment Auctions

iDrive TDS-2010H ProJack M2 Electric Trailer Dolly (A59228)
iDrive TDS-2010H...
2020 Freightliner M2 106 AWD Altec DC47TR Digger Derrick Truck (A60460)
2020 Freightliner...
2019 Freightliner M2 106 AWD Altec DM47BTR Insulated Digger Derrick Truck (A60460)
2019 Freightliner...
2012 International WorkStar 7300 AWD Altec DC47TR Insulated Digger Derrick Truck (A60460)
2012 International...
2011 VOLVO A40F OFF ROAD DUMP TRUCK (A60429)
2011 VOLVO A40F...
GOODYEAR SET OF 12.4/11-24 TIRES WITH 5 BOLT HUB WHEELS (80% TREAD) (A55315)
GOODYEAR SET OF...
 
Top