Good morning!!!!

[Larro Darro]

That old Craftsman mower has been with me since the early '90s, and if I took the time to hose it off, still looks brand new. On the outside at least. It cut grass once a week at the last house during the summer growing season (grass stops growing during the short winter days here in California, just like the rest of the country). But back then the sprinkler system kept it nice and green, and I even got into the habit of fertilizing it a few times a year. I think I may have cleaned under the deck once or twice when I first started using it, but not much came out and I stopped. Haven't even looked under there since moving to the sticks five years ago, but then it only gets used a few times during the spring each year. During the drought I've stopped watering the grass all together, and now it's as brown, sorry gold, as the surrounding hillsides. And I've just about made up my mind to replace the small lawn with drought tolerant shrubs and ground cover, dotted with boulders and finished off with decomposed granite, a gold colored sand. At that point I'll probably give the mower deck one last cleaning before putting it on Craig's List, formally ending my grass cutting career. I'll still mow the meadows away from the house, but that's a sit down job on the tractor, and if I time it right it's a once a year thing. Does that still count as mowing? And no, I don't clean the deck on the bush hog, either.

Larro, I've had mixed results leaving so called maintenance chargers hooked up to batteries all the time. They're supposed to be smart enough to not hurt the battery, but some batteries still don't like it. Last week a buddy told me he keeps his chargers on a 7 day timer, and only turns them on once a week. That's been working pretty well for him, so I'm going to try it, too. Another of my friends takes a bulb out of the garage door opener, replacing it with a screw in socket. He connects his charger to that so it only comes on for ten minutes or so each time the garage door opens. That also seems to work, though I'm not sure how well I like the idea of stringing extension cords across the ceiling. Either way, think your mom could get into the habit of leaving her rider plugged in all the time?:confused3:

I bet you will be glad when you can retire your mower. I cut grass for money for over 35 years, so I have never really cared about my yard grass at home. I worked yards when I was a kid, hay and pastures when a young man, sports turf when I came home from the Navy. I like golf course work much more than baseball fields. As past times go, ball players {and their parents} just don't seem to have as much fun as golfers. I was still doing hay, pasture and yards, plus the grounds at the Civic Center for the next 15 years or so. Then we got prison labor at work, and I stopped farming, so it was just yards for a few years. Once Margie got elected and started making good money, I didn't look for new yards as my customers died or went in the old folks home. Margie's brother was my last paying customer and he has been dead about 5 years. Now I just try to keep the grass cut right in front of the house, and in the back where the dog is. That is only about an acre each. The rest of the yard {about 4 acres} is white with the blooms of wild Astor right now. I never cut it until they are done blooming. And then only three or four times a year.

Her charger is 20 odd yeas old. I might could figure out what's the problem with it, but she has got her money's worth out of it. It's a regular charger, not the trickle kind. As bad as Mamma hates spending money, she has threatened to go buy a new mower if we can't keep hers running. Since Sister and I always inherit her old mowers, I just don't see my motivation to hurry on this job Seriously, Sister and I mow her lawn a lot more than she does. It just takes a second to jump it off, so it's no big deal when we are doing it. Since I very rarely use my riders, as often as not, I have to jump them off too. {they will crank if I use them again that day or the next}

 

[daugen]

the good news is I'm home safe and sound after a nine hour drive in 97 degree heat. Bad news is it is 95 out now with a heat index of 102. And tomorrow, in mid June, the temp is predicted to hit 100 degrees. That means inland it's going to be even more brutal.

Eric, no one really answered you, so I will, a dual quad is an engine with two four barrel carburetors. Made to pump max gas in for max horsepower. Back in the 60s and 70s here cars had "trips", three two barrel carbs, or even more impressive, two four barrel carbs. All of which of course had to be adjusted like crazy. But then you are likely to know what adjusting a Solex or SU is like...think on steroids.

Stopped at the Dismal Swamp rest stop on the way home, and had to chuckle. Not too often one finds a 40 foot boat parked in the parking lot, in the water....well, it sure looked like it was in the lot. The alternative path to the Intracoastal Waterway comes right along side the rest stop, so folks can get out of their boats and use the same rest stop. Pretty unusual I think.

And lastly, went to my Quaker Meeting Sunday morning, went back and talked with my wife in the graveyard, told her I was going to try to meet someone, and boy that was a hard conversation to have. I got positive feedback though.
And on my way out, thinking of historical trivia, I took a pic of the Walking Purchase sign which is on the Meeting property out by the road.

 

[300UGUY]

Raining off and on all day here. Cleared up this afternoon, so I washed the truck. It started raining a hour later

 

[300UGUY]

the good news is I'm home safe and sound after a nine hour drive in 97 degree heat. Bad news is it is 95 out now with a heat index of 102. And tomorrow, in mid June, the temp is predicted to hit 100 degrees. That means inland it's going to be even more brutal.

Eric, no one really answered you, so I will, a dual quad is an engine with two four barrel carburetors. Made to pump max gas in for max horsepower. Back in the 60s and 70s here cars had "trips", three two barrel carbs, or even more impressive, two four barrel carbs. All of which of course had to be adjusted like crazy. But then you are likely to know what adjusting a Solex or SU is like...think on steroids.

Stopped at the Dismal Swamp rest stop on the way home, and had to chuckle. Not too often one finds a 40 foot boat parked in the parking lot, in the water....well, it sure looked like it was in the lot. The alternative path to the Intracoastal Waterway comes right along side the rest stop, so folks can get out of their boats and use the same rest stop. Pretty unusual I think.

And lastly, went to my Quaker Meeting Sunday morning, went back and talked with my wife in the graveyard, told her I was going to try to meet someone, and boy that was a hard conversation to have. I got positive feedback though.
And on my way out, thinking of historical trivia, I took a pic of the Walking Purchase sign which is on the Meeting property out by the road.

She must have been really special, Drew. I know if I lost Joanie, I'd be lost.

 

[deerseeker001]

there is no way how lost you feel till it happens to you.

She must have been really special, Drew. I know if I lost Joanie, I'd be lost.

 

[Kyle_in_Tex]

Drew, you make me thankful for what I have. I pray that you find fulfilling happy companionship.

 

[Kyle_in_Tex]

Surfs up here on our coast! Bring your own board. BYOB

Say (in your best surfer voice):
It time to smoke some doobs,
Scope some booobs,
and
shoot some tubes.

(At least that is what the best surfer I ever knew would always say...)

 

[rswyan]

72F and light rain @ 00:15 ...

Just came down from the shop, after successfully resuscitating the Stihl FS66 brushcutter.

Not sure what finally did the trick ... might have been a combination of things. I set the lever for the needle with the Walbro gauge - it was slightly high initially, by the gauge, which could have caused a "needle open" condition, allowing it to flood.

I also added a plastic diaphragm - which wasn't in the gasket/diaphragm "sandwich" that I originally took off the carb - on the bottom (fuel pump side) So that made it rubber diaphragm/plastic diaphragm/gasket, where it had been rubber diaphragm/gasket previously. Hard to imagine that this made the difference, as it had been running fine for a number of years without it.

Third thing was that the tiny spring for the needle lever had gotten a little pooched (bent) along the way ... so I ripped off the one out of the old 4-mix carb - which is a totally different carb - that was previously replaced on the Stihl HT-101 pole pruner.

I'm not going to dwell on the mystery (of what it actually was that did the trick) ... I'm just happy to have it starting easily and running again.

We spent another day cleaning up at the commercial property, which was really a mess. The tenant we had in there was supposed to be responsible for everything - including maintaining the interior/exterior/grounds ... which clearly he did not ensure was done. Trash, leaves (from prior years apparently), etc.

The guy gave me two days notice that he was closing the location and then, to top it off, out and out lied to me regarding having personnel at the building, when I inquired about gaining access to have a look see. He said there was no one there, when in fact, he had at least 2 employees in there, for 8 hours per day, for at least 5 days per week, for a period of several weeks. And that isn't the only thing he's lied about (to myself and others) I've come to find out.

The reason I know this (the employees being there) to be true, is that a friend and I drove by the place just to have a look and found them there, and the employees readily admitted to having been there, packing up inventory and fixtures, for a number of weeks ... maybe a month or more.

The other half of that, is what he left - a whole bunch of stuff: gondola and shelving parts, some sections of counter, a steel desk, hundreds of 8' fluorescent tubes (condition unknown), business records from prior years, a very nice safe, etc. Basically anything he didn't want. Probably 10 or more pallets of crap. Of course, he took the pallet jack and forklift.

Funniest thing about it is, is this guy is - from all outward appearances at least - a professional, respected, and well-thought of business man, who owns multiple (a dozen ?) franchises of a well-known national business. Probably devoutly attends a house of worship on a regular basis ...

I consider the guy to be nothing more than a complete deadbeat and total fraud.

Another funny thing - apparently back in December, OSHA came in and did a little inspection - and found him in violation on a number of things. From all the taped up notices that nobody bothered to take down and were left hanging on the wall, in the end it looks like he settled and they dinged him for about upper four figures.

Couldn't have happened to a nicer pric ... err, I mean ... guy.

Now, hopefully they'll go inspect his other locations.

U.B. and I head back in there tomorrow morning with his trailer to haul all the brush trimmings and lawn waste out.

 

[RoyJackson]

2015-06-16, 0223

58 right now...high of 77 and another rainy day...

 

[Eric Salop]

And lastly, went to my Quaker Meeting Sunday morning, went back and talked with my wife in the graveyard, told her I was going to try to meet someone, and boy that was a hard conversation to have. I got positive feedback though.

Drew, you have been a very lucky man to have shared life with a wife who meant so much. I hope that one day you will be lucky again.

 

[daugen]

78 degrees already at 4:30 in the morning, yikes, going up to 100 in "plentiful sunshine".
most of the State seems to be in a heat advisory.
Global warming, doo doo doo doo....yet I remember 9 degrees here this past winter.
Eric, mother nature put dual quads on her weathermobile...
Not working outside in that for sure. Might go put up some more shelves in the woodshop.

My mother was 51 when she died of cancer and my wife 57.
I thought we were supposed to go first...
and thanks all for your thoughts, probably not the right place for this.
risk factors, risk factors
So....to lower your risk factors on these very hot days,
go down to your tractor dealer and get that nice green/orange/blue/red cab model. :thumbsup:
doctor's orders...
RX take one cab tractor as needed
Doctor TBN

 

[Eric Salop]

Warm, dry and little wind.
A good day for painting outside, especially as it is my wife who has volunteered to paint the diesel tank.


For the last couple of days I have been trying to clean out sediment from the tank before moving it to it's new home.



The tank is ex-army and already had this in when I bought it a few years back. Lifting and sloshing diesel got it into suspension before pumping out to settle in buckets. Not perfect, certainly better than before and gained an extra half gallon in capacity.



While I had the forks on I took a few heavy concrete posts out of the way and finally moved an old and very heavy broken gate. Was making good progress until the gate fought back. I hadn't realised the broken bar on the gate was caught over the loader quick release handle until I laid it down. Didn't think much of it until I came to change back to the bucket and found the handle was bent.



At times my fix would be to simply hit it with hammer, but I'm still in love with the relatively new Iseki (even though there is now a new improved model. It is shameful the way the tractor press try to encourage a brake up so soon into a relationship, all for the sake of a sleeker bonnet and a soft touch steering wheel).

Instead I took my time and gave it a gentle squeeze.



It now looks as good as new, though I think the design could be improved - perhaps a future welding project.

 

[Buppies]

70 again this morning high of 94 later today. Pretty good sized heat wave especially south of here.

Thunderstorm chances increase later today but more north of here

Texas to get more rain just what they do not need

 

[daugen]

RS, one man's mess is another man's treasure but I think you got a lot of mess left for you.
hopefully the desk and safe are worth something. But the man is an idiot to leave his business records.
Did he just forget to make the last trip? Was he relying on someone else to clean it up?
If he knowingly left that crap for you to clean up, shame on him. Perhaps you could return it to the front lawn of
his place of business...

And RS you should do a YouTube Walbro video.
The challenge is having someone who is very good at what they do
present it properly, it's a teaching moment. And some of the YouTube guys are
really slow in their presentation, some spend a lot of time focusing... but overall I think
they are often helpful. Particularly the cautions, little springs and washers falling out of places
that must go back in in precisely one manner or it will never start.

The printed instructions you get with most products today, Chinese or not, are pretty bad.
Besides, the first twenty pages are unintelligible never read caution stickers. They seem to feel required to
duplicate every warning sticker on the machine, and add even more dire warnings.
I never read any of it.
Keep your fingers and feet out of the machinery. Pretty simple.
More important to get that into muscle memory than reading E100 warnings.

time for a toasted raisin bagel with philadelphia lite cream cheese.
And for sure another cup of coffee. Stuff at my tea drinking sister's was dreck despite her best efforts.
Nice to get back to my own stuff...
may June 16 be a very good day.

 

[Buppies]

Nice fix Eric very nice.

Drew you and your wife had something speciaL

Can you share knowledge on a 232 Grady White?

 

[Buppies]

Looks like another round of searing heat is on the way for SC and NC starting Sunday even worse than the current one. This is not good not good at all

RS deadbeats abound everywhere sorry it happened to you. On a light note Mrs Redbird came by the feeder last night looking all fit and trim and apparently found a new hair dresser to boot as she looked finer than a frog hair split three ways.

 

[daugen]

Can you share knowledge on a 232 Grady White?

nice boat. Two tons plus will require hp to drive it, probably 300 adequate, 400 will go
very fast and burn lots of fuel. I would spend some time on this page: Grady-White Boats
you really can get by with a single engine today, a V8, though one loses the backup capability of a second motor.
I saw a Yamaha 350 V8 on a fishing boat at Washington city dock last week. Nice looking motor.

the boat has a toilet/head, and a quality small interior. Superior bad weather boat.
Equivalent to a C class Mercedes in a car, Grady Whites are built in Greenville, the next city over from Washington.
Set up for fishing which is not my thing, I'm a cruiser totally, but if you want to get out and catch a fish, that boat would last a long time for you and based on owner loyalty, be a real pleasure. And with canvas, a toilet and a place to lie down, you could day cruise very nicely with it. Really nice family boat.

 

[ronjhall]

Coffee is done brewing. 66° with light rain this morning. Heading to 78° with chance of some sun later in the day. Got the lawn cut yesterday. But it sure was wet. Back to more yard work today.
My thoughts on cleaning mower deck for my area. After first built-up and dries out. Desk is protected from more wear during future cuttings.
Drew, like your thoughts.
RS, glad you got the Stihl running.
Good Morning All.

 

[Buppies]

Thanks Drew that's what I was looking for

Los if you're interested know where there is a 1996 chappereal 29 twin 350s for $20000. Needs work but nice size cruiser for ICW. And has A/C to boot

 

[vtsnowedin]

A fishing buddy of mine had a Grady White back twenty years ago he used fishing all around Cape Cod. Nicely set up for fishing with holds you could fill with ice and fish etc. He traded up to a full sized cabin cruiser when he had the money but has often said the Grady White was the best of the several boats he has owned and the only one he regrets selling.